Ustad Shaik Dawood was born on 16th of December 1916 in Sholapur. His
father Shaik Hashim Saheb was a draughts man in PWD, Bijapur.
Right
from the age of 3 years, he showed keen interest towards music and
rhythm. The indulgent father purchased for his three years old son a
small pair of tabla and a tasha to play with. His father takes him to
dramas regularly. The dramas in those days were entirely musical and
this had a profound influence on Dawood Saheb. His grasping powers were
such that he would be able to render the songs that he had heard the
previous night.
At the age of 8 years, Dawood Saheb was
initiated into vocal music and rudiments of tabla by Ameer Quawwal, a
classical vocalist and traditional Natiya Quawwal of Sholapur. Ustad
Khasim saheb who was a Zamindar of Sholapur and SUFI by nature used to
organize spiritual is courses every Thursday. Ameer Quawwal used to
sing Quawalis and Dawood used to sing and play tabla. It was at these
meetings that Dawood Saheb used to come into contact with Ustad Khasim
Saheb. Those were the days when the Ustad never took anyone as a
disciple readily. Inspite of constant meetings for four years, Khasim
Saheb did not accept him as a student but instead suggested that Dawood
should learn vocal music and if needed, he would recommend him to Ustad
Abdul Karim Khan. Dawood persisted with this request to teach him
tabla. Then one day when Dawood was 12 years old, Khasim Saheb said,
"OK, I will teach you a Gat and if you play it well, I will take you as
my disciple". The Gat was
DHINA GIDA NAGA DHINA DHAGE TRAKA TOONA KATHA
TAKITA TA KITA DHAGE TRAKA DHINA GHIDA NAGA
GHINA KATA GHE GHE NAGA DHINA TOONA KIDA NAGA
TAKA DHINA TAKA DHINA DHAGE TRAKA TOONA KATHA
Dawood
Saheb sat the whole night and practiced it hard and rendered the Gat
the next day to the fullest satisfaction of Ustad Khasim Saheb. Thus,
at the age of 12, Dawood Saheb became his disciple.
Ustad Khasim
Saheb always called himself an amateur musician who attained some fame
in the region as a tabla accompanist with vocal music and sitar. Many
of the artists of ester years like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Pandit
Bhaskar Bua Bakhle, Ustad Shabbu Khan and the tabla Nawaz of Hyderabad
Ustad All Dia Khan were his very close friends. Ustad Mohammed Khasim
was a great patron and connoisseur of music, besides being very
knowledgeable about tabla. His gurus were Ustad Ali Dad Khan of Gaya
and Ustad Tajammul Hussain of Benaras.
One of the most important
contributions of Mohammed Khasim is the technique of using thumb to
produce the soft 'gamak' on the dugga. This technique is better
understood and appreciated by the students of tabla. This unique
technique was further improved and perfected by Dawood Saheb. The
beauty of this technique unfolds while rendering Peshkara, Laggis,
Relas (particularly the ultas and sultas ) and the teen taal theka is
made to resemble "a well oiled village oil mill". This is how the
eminent sitar maestro Ustad Imrat Hussain Khan described the theka
played by Ustad Shaik Dawood.
THE ART OF UNOBSTRUSIVE
ACCOMPANIMENT WAS INGRAINED INTO DAWOOD SAHEB EARLYON DURING THE
TRAINING AND BY THE TIME HE WAS 18 YEARS, HE WAS GIVING ACCOMPANIMENT
TO VERY REPUTED MUSICIAN FRIENDS OF KHASIM SAHEB WHO USED TO FREQUENT
TO SHOLAPUR. USTAD ABDUL KARIM KHAN TOOK A SPECIAL LIKING TO DAWOOD
SAHEB'S ACCOMPANIMENT. IN RETROSPECT, ACCOMPANIMENT TO VOCAL MUSICIANS
IN THE EARLY YEARS OF HIS CAREER, PERHAPS GAVE DAWOOD SAHEB IMMENSE
CONTROL OVER THE 'VILAMBIT LAYA " HOWEVER SLOW THE THEKA IS.
During
this period Dawood Saheb also use to go to Tuljapur where he regularly
attends the Saturday music gathering at Tulja Bhavani Mandir which the
Pujari of the Mandir organize, here on one Saturday the Sub Registrar
of Tuljapur Janab M.A. Raoof gave his light classical vocal concert
with Dawood Saheb accompaniment on Tabla. THIS IS THE DAY WHEN
SOMETHING HAS BEEN CHANGED IN DAWOOD SAHEB'S LIFE, AS JANAB M.A. RAOOF
WAS A GREAT SINGER OF HIS TIME AND A PROMINENT SOCIAL PERSON, HE LIKED
DAWOOD SAHEB'S TABLA SO MUCH THAT HE NEVER SING WITH ANY OTHER TABLIYA
FOR REST OF HIS LIFE (only if Dawood Saheb is not available he takes
someone else).
At the age of 19 years Dawood Saheb was invited
to accompany some eminent artistes by Mr. M.A. Raoof, Program Executive
of Hyderabad Radio Station. (Private Radio Station at the time) Both
Mr. Raoof and Mr. Roshan Ali moljee,Music Director at the Radio Station
were impressed by Dawood Saheb's Accompaniment he used to make frequent
trips to Hyderabad from Sholapur to provide tabla accompaniment to
artistes performing on Hyderabad Radio. Such was the demand that Dawood
Saheb was persuaded to shift to Hyderabad in 1937 and was offered a
permanent job in Hyderabad Radio.
Within months Hyderabad Radio
was taken over by the Nizam from the private hands and it became a
state institution under Nawab Ali Yavar Jung who was a great
connoisseur of music. Under his patronage and that of Nawab Zaheer Jung
Bahadur, Minister in charge of religious and cultural affairs, all
great musicians at that time were invited and Dawood Saheb provided
tabla accompaniment to all these artistes. Such rich experience for a
tabla artiste of accompanying so many reputed musicians from all over
the sub-continent perhaps remains UNPARALLELED .In fact Dawood Saheb
has given tabla accompaniment to artistes of THREE GENERATIONS.
The
musicians whom Dawood Saheb has accompanied during his glorious career
spanning over 58 years include Ustad Abdul Karim Khansaheb.
Here are some videos