Jugalbandis in indian classical are not a rare sight , and Dhrupad genre is no exception, from times in memorial, pairs of singers have been performing it and specially famous were the Elder Dagars, also Ustads Zia Mohiuddin Dagar on the Rudra Veena and our Guru Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar vocal and in recent times The Gundecha Brothers.
But presented today is a slightly different form in that it is a female - male Jugalbandi, the first ever in the history of Dhrupad.
Both Sulbha Saraf and Manoj Saraf have the good fortune to be trained under a common Guru, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar with guidance from the Late Ustad Zia Mohiuddin dagar. Female artists in dhrupad are not too many and Sulbha has achieved a spot of her own, along with Manoj they combine to form a pair quite unique, they specialize in the correct rendering of Dhrupad in the "Dagarbani Style" with enough emphasis on Alap & Jod and a systematic 'Badhat' (improvisation) of the raga.
Both born in Madhya Pradesh, Sulbha started her training under her father Shri. Madan Chourasia & Shri. P.V. Kahu in sagar, Manoj from Shri. Mohan Shukla in Ujjain. Both were awarded the "Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy" scholarship to study Dhrupad.
Both have performed in a number of programmes, particularly the Dhrupad Samaroh Bhopal. The Dhrupad Mela - Benaras, The Tansen Samaroh - Gwalior, the Swar Sadhna annual programme - Mumbai and various cities of India too. They also perform for SPICMACAY. Manoj and Sulbha have done the music for a play - Shakespeare's Hamlet directed by Shri. Niraj Kabi. Both have sung in the programme 'India Matters' on NDTV, an Indian TV Channel. Manoj has sung in Amol Palekar's marathi film 'Anahat'. Both have been awarded National Scholarship from the Ministry oh Human Resource Development of the Govt. of India, Sulbha have been awarded the National Junior Fellowship too from same.