Our Gurus
Shri Umakant and Shri Ramakant Gundecha, The Gundecha brothers, are the leading Dagarvaani Dhrupad singers in India. They were conferred the “Padmashri” in 2012 by the Govt. of India and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2017, for their contribution in the field of Dhrupad and Indian Classical Music.
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Born in Ujjain in Central India, they were initiated into music by their parents at an early age. After receiving the conventional university education, they learnt the Dhrupad vocal art under the renowned Dhrupad vocalist, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, and also with Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (the distinguished performer of Rudra Veena) under guru shishya paramapara in the Dhrupad Kendra Bhopal.
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More about the Gundecha Brothers at www.dhrupad.org
To honour their comittment to promote Dhrupad music around the globe, the Gurujis have set up the Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal and a Dhrupad Institute in USA. The Bhopal Gurukul imparts Dhrupad training under the Guru Shishya parampara to students from around the world.
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To enable even novices to understand Dhrupad with ease and to revive an interest in Dhrupad, the Gurujis have also rendered poetry by eminent Indian poets Tulsidas, Kabir, Padmakar, Nirala, among others, in the Dhrupad style.
Apart from being an integral part of several of India’s prestigious music festivals, Gurujis have also performed and conducted workshops at many important international music festivals and institutions in over 25 countries.