NILOY AHSAN's video: Dhrupad Alaap in Raag Yaman by Ahsan Zulkernaeen Niloy Udaipur Dhrupad Festival 2017

For Niloy, true music is a divine play of the Prana, an exploration of the sound within, and the practice of Dhrupad is a path to salvation. Niloy’s approach to singing is thus holistic. A 21st generation Dhrupad musician of the majestic Dagar lineage, Niloy Ahsan is an unconventional rare vocalist, honig a unique repertoire, profound in depth understanding of indian philosophy and Marga Sangeet as well as traditional and classical styles of Dhrupad, Dhamar and Khayal. By amalgamating an equipoise between the austerity of Dagarvani Dhrupad and the versatile musical possibilities of the Sadharani Geeti, Niloy has emerged as one of the finest and most promising young dhrupad vocalists.  Niloy’s music is exquisite, explosive and yet introspective and soul-searching. He brings about the particular traits of the Raga he sings, along with a blossoming of Bhava and Rasa. And because a rigorous sadhana or spiritual effort is at the root of this, listeners from all walks of life can tune in and find a place in his music, that they can call their own.  Niloy aspires to explore the depth of Dhrupad - the Naad-Yoga - in its fullest manner, while staying true to the core spiritual yogic principles well established, while remaining open to new and diverse musical aspects as well as create awareness and make the heritage connect with many at a global scale. The ancient Rishis and the Sufi mystics saw music as meditation, recitation of Mantra, an empathetic way of healing, a path to explore the divine. For Niloy too, music is the exploration of sound, and the play of Prana. Niloy’s approach to singing is thus holistic, as is the Dhrupad music itself. The form is deeply embedded in a philosophy of self-awareness, of how we sit, speak, and by extension, sing. This is why in Dhrupad the raga unfolds slowly and with a sense of measure. The forte of the form is the Alap, the unfolding of which transcends the singer and the listener to a realm beyond sound.  Dhrupad preserves many of the most ancient principles of music described in the Vedas, Samhitas, Upanishads and Shiksha literatures, which might have sunk into oblivion with the development of other forms. Such preservation has been possible due to the heritage of the Dhrupad Guru-Shishya tradition. Various Dhatus and Kriyas, explore the musical principles in the most elaborate manner, and are taught in a rigorous fashion. But sincerity and empathy of the heart are essential components of this form as well. For Niloy, the practice of Dhrupad is a path to salvation.  A student of Architecture turned into a Postgraduate in Music and an exponent Niloy’s background in music is not only in the Dhrupad tradition. He has trained extensively, since an early age, in the Khayal tradition as well as in Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti. Contact Dhrupad Sansthan, P.O. National Judicial Academy, Suraj Nagar, Bhadbhada, Bhopal-462044 Mobile phone: +91-9826748424 https://www.dhrupadniloy.com https://www.facebook.com/dhrupadniloy/?modal=admin_todo_tour dhrupadniloy@gmail.com