Wasifuddin Dagar is perhaps the most reserved musician in Delhi’s cultural scene, which is dominated by pushy, networked factions. Wasibubhai, he effortlessly conveys the weight of the Dagar tradition of Dhrupad, a genre that predates all others in Hindustani classical music. His home and music room are renowned for welcoming musicians, music lovers, hobbyists, and just about anyone who seeks musical rest. All this makes him a very likable person, not only deeply versed in his art, but willing to dabble in long, rambling discussions of wordplay, calligraphy, philosophy and spiritualism. increase.
Dagger says his life motto is the Sufi guru’s saying, “Chup ki sabse upar tak jaati hai” (silence is the first to hear the Almighty).
But silence is no longer an option for Americans.
In late April, he announced that the chart-topping title track of Mani Ratnam’s blockbuster Chola Dynasty Story was ponyin selvan 2, Veera Raja Veerawhich clearly resembled the precious Dagar family structure of the Raga Adana. Shiva Shiva. Since then, he has claimed fair approval from the film’s producers, Madras Talkies, who have argued that the film’s roots were as follows. Veera Raja Veera Traditional.
“The song is a loose adaptation of a traditional song and is recognized as such in the film,” the production team said in an email to me. “Mr. Mr. Duggar’s allegations are baseless and untrue.”
Still, the mild-mannered ustad hasn’t given up. This is the first intellectual property dispute in the Hindustani classical realm and is likely to be a tough one. The ragas, their frameworks and progressions are open source material and the majority of the compositions are traditional and beyond proprietary. Therefore, the direction of this discussion will have far-reaching implications for the fraternity.
“I’m small, but my music is great,” Duggar said. “Everyone knows we are not chasing celebrity or money in this city. When we name the greats in our music, we touch our ears, and it is an appreciation for their knowledge, wisdom, and effort that we so generously pour into.”
family heritage
Exactly one year ago, he and his family were evicted from their government-designated home in Asiad Village, filled with more than 30 years of musical memories and a collection of Dougal seniors. Dagar’s new home in Gurgaon is well over an hour from his south end of Delhi. The family is still settling in and many prized possessions have yet to find a place on the walls and shelves. But still warm.
“Students are now learning primarily online, which is too far for most people,” Duggar said. For a guru who enjoys banter and eclectic chatter, this must be a loss, but he is no complainer.
What makes his face look resentful is the feeling that family traditions are being neglected. The Shiva Sacred Song “Shiva Shiva” was composed and recorded in 1978 by his uncle Zahiruddin Dagger, commonly known as Junior Dagger, and his father Faiyazuddin Dagger. Set in a very fast tempo, unusual for Dhrupad, it was performed at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam and re-released on his CD in 1996.
It’s not hard to notice the similarities between the structure of the film attributed to AR Rahman and the work of Duggar. The progress of Dun, Taal, and Bandish is clearly close. Where the two begin to differ is in the composition of the film, all these elements are beautifully fitted into the essential Ramania paradigm: a wonderful orchestra, beautiful arrangements and a medley of pitch-perfect voices.
The case is further confused by the fact that part of Rahman’s creative team and the Hindi version of the singer are students of Duggar himself.
intellectual property
Kumar Gandharva once famously said that ragas are born and disappear each time they are played, and that even the same singer never sings exactly the same. The same set of her five notes in the same order need not sound the same.
Anirvan Mazumdar, head of the intellectual property department at the National College of Law in Kolkata, held a series of workshops last year with arts foundation Claire on India’s performing arts and copyright legal system. According to him, traditional music was based on a loose ownership system that encouraged community participation.
“There was always the idea of enriching and developing art over time,” he said. “However, formal intellectual property systems operate on the idea of monopoly, exploitation, and control. These are conflicting belief systems. Proper attribution is required, and there is also a need for profit sharing.”
When Duggar first claimed plagiarism in May, ponyin selvan 2 He lashed out at this, calling it a “fishing expedition for financial gain and publicity.” They argued that the original pieces on which they were based were traditional, composed by 13th-century critics, and therefore a legitimate source of inspiration. A few days later, a brief addition was added to the song’s description on YouTube: “Song written, produced and arranged by Traditional Dagarvani Dhrupad/AR Rahman.”
For ustad and his students, this approval is an afterthought, too little, too late.
Besides, Dagger has another complaint. Could the melody composition be copyrighted by the film’s composer and producer? Would he be accused of copyright infringement if he sang the stuti again on stage or recorded it? Disappointing fans In particular, he raised the issue at an annual concert in memory of the Dougal great.
“Our music is very ephemeral,” he said. “It’s as vast as the ocean, but as dewy as dew. You can’t take it away without respect. I give you that respect.”
Shiva stuti is popular among Dhrupad singers. This includes, for example, the Gundeka family, Uday Bawalkar, and Nirmalya Dei. Such music sharing is commonplace in classical music fraternity, but the ecosystem is different. No big money or market stakes.
“I have no problem with other Dhrupad musicians playing this, even musicians of other schools and styles,” said Dagger. “I’m proud they’re doing it. But this was done with pure commercial intent.”
Movie songs have long borrowed from the traditional classical repertoire.Mr. Lata Mangeshkar Eli Jaan Na Dungi from Chitraleka This is a clean reworking of the short 18th century Sadaran bandish. Kaare Jaane na Dungi.she Aeri Aari Piya Bina for the 1952 movie raglank It is a classic dish of the widely loved Raga Yarman, whose author is unknown.there is Anoka Ladra In the tune of Raga Dharbari Mana Dei Basant Bahr.
However, all of these works are either obscure or legendary works and are well beyond the realm of controversy. Mr. Duggar argues differently. He claims the film was the first to make use of a relatively modern classical composition.
Whatever the strength of his argument, Mazumder said it would be difficult to prove copyright infringement in this case. “For both classical and folk music, it is very difficult to prove copyright in formal intellectual property systems,” he explained. “This work can be used merely as a basis, an idea already in the public domain, which can be claimed as cultural heritage and is outside the scope of copyright law. It is very easy to improvise and claim originality.In the West, plagiarism charges are now defended by musicologists.”
Dagger says he hasn’t given up on fighting. He pulls out stories about Tansen from a bag of countless anecdotes. Two swindlers have appeared in Akbar’s court to usurp the position of royal musician. Every time Tansen put out a piece, they would say, ‘This is exactly what we composed,’ and they would start recreating it to perfection. But good musicians were also good strategists. One day he arrived in court and started singing two lines of a brand new song. When the two men insisted on their usual authorship, Tansen replied: Why not try telling the court what it is? “
Malini Nair is a writer and senior editor based in New Delhi. She is a Kalparatha Her Fellow in Classical Music Writing 2022.
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