Fast Side of Dhrupad

The musicians of the Mallik family have for many generations been masters of the dhrupad style, the oldest form of North Indian art song. In India they are famous for their own rhythmically accentuated singing style and the rich repertoire of compositions, some using ragas that are sung only by their family. Because of the demands that the dhrupad places on the voice, it is usually sung by several singers at once. In India they say that the strength of four elephants is required to develop it fully. Bidur Mallik and his sons, Ramkuma and Premkumar, were fortunate enough for a time to be the ensemble that came closest to this standard.