Uday Bhawalkar (India), Dhrupad Singing

Uday Bhawalkar was born in 1966 in Madhya-Pradesh and began studying Indian classical music as a boy. At 15 he was selected to study at the Dhrupad Kendra in Bhopal. He lived and studied Dhrupad for 12 years in the residences of his Gurus, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and the Rudra-Veena Maestro Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, in Bhopal and Mumbai. His long training with his Gurus in the rigorous practice of Dhrupad helped him to appreciate the subtle nuances and majesty of this music.

In 1985 Bhawalkar gave his first performance of Dhrupad singing at Bhopal and since then has performed at many prominent music festivals in India. He began performing internationally in 1990 and has presented many solo concerts throughout Europe and in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He has also performed in a number of world music festivals in Europe, including World of Music and Dance (WOMAD) in England, the SFINKS festival in Belgium, and the World Music Festival in Switzerland.

Bhawalkar has collaborated with artists from other disciplines and cultures, including the contemporary dancer Astad Deboo, “Ensemble Modern” in Germany, and professional musicians from Spain and the United States. In addition, he has contributed to the soundtracks of international art films, including Mani Kaul’s ”Cloud Door,” Aparna Sen’s “Mr. & Mrs. Iyer” and Amol Palekar’s “Anahat.” Several recordings of Uday Bhawalkar’s Dhrupad performances are available on CD in India and abroad. For more information, go to www.udaybhawalkar.com