Z.M. Dagar

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Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (14 March 1929 - 28 September 1990) popularly known as Z M Dagar, was of the 19th generation of Dagar family dhrupad musicians and was largely responsible for the revival of the rudra vina as a solo concert instrument.

He was born in the town of Udaipur,Rajasthan. He began his training under the tutelage of his father, Ustad Ziauddin Khan Dagar, court musician for the Maharaj of Udaipur.

Z M Dagar was trained both in vocals and in the rudra vina, an instrument used by vocalists to practice melodies. The vina was traditionally not played in public, but the young Zia Mohiuddin adopted it as his primary instrument, giving his first recital at age 16. Discouraged by his father from experimenting with the structure of his instrument, he nevertheless modified the vina, after his father's death, to better equip it for solo performance, transforming it into a larger bass instrument (sometimes called a Dagar vina). With the help of instrument house Kanailal & Brother, he enlarged the tumbas (gourds) and dhandhi (hollow neck) to create greater resonance and to allow the notes to sustain longer and so better reproduce the techniques used in dhrupad singing. Because of these modifications, the instrument was too heavy to be held in the standard Northern posture (with one tumba on the left shoulder), so he played instead in the Southern posture, with one tumba on the ground and one on the left knee.

He was known particularly for his slow development of ragas, which were typically performed accompanied only by a tanpura and occasionally with pakhawaj, and for his meticulous attention to microtonal inflections.

He was very active in the West, associated with the American Society for Eastern Arts in Berkeley, California and was a visiting professor at Wesleyan and at the University of Washington, Seattle.

In 1990, Ustad was awarded the Kalidas Samman, one of the most prestigious award of the country by Madhya Pradesh Government. He had also received Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy award, Maharana Kumbha award and many more.

His younger brother, Ustad Zia Fariddudin Dagar, is a vocalist and teacher, and his son, Baha'ud'din Mohiuddin Dagar, is a vina player. He taught the Gundecha Brothers, regarded as leading exponents of Dhrupad.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar died in 1990.