Prasanna's video: Mallick Brother s Dhrupad Vocal 23rd Nov 2019 New Delhi

Dhrupad is considered as the oldest style of singing that exists even today. Musicians from Darbhanga gharana have been carrying the torch of Dhrupad since several generations. Radhakrishna and Kartaram, the court musicians for the Nawab of Darbhanga in the mid eighteenth century, are considered to be the founders of the Darbhanga tradition of dhrupad. The gharana is continued in the two lineages formed by their descendants. Originally, this gharana maintained branches of veena and pakhawaj playing too. The performance of the Darbhanga Gharana of dhrupad singers can be distinguished mainly by the way compositions are sung after the alap. A major emphasis is placed on the rhythmic aspect of the singing. The distinctive feature of the gharana is powerful and expressive vocal delivery, combined with a lively style of performance. Prominent singers include the late Ram Chatur Mallik (1906-1990), who was court musician at Darbhanga, Vidur Mallik, Abhay Narayan Mallik, and Prem Kumar Mallik.