Night Ragas (Music Today, 1994)

योऽसौ ध्वनिविशेषस्तु स्वरवर्णविभूषितः ।

रञ्जको जनचित्तानां स च राग उदाहृतः ।।

"That which is a special dhwani (tune), is bedecked with swara (notes) and varna and is colorful and delightful to the minds of the people, is said to be rāga" - Matanga in the Brihaddeshi.

Long before my first trip to the subcontinent, I acquired a couple of these beautiful volumes of Inidan ragas on cassette--from the free pile at the dump.  Probably my first introduction to music outside of the western sphere o' influence; I was transfixed with what sounded so alien to these young ears who only a few years prior had just discovered dad's floyd and zep records.  Almost a decade and a half later these tapes are among some of my most cherished items from childhood.

There are ragas for many occasions...time of day, time of year, the mood of the weather...think monsoons...  The Music Today label first released these as a multi-volume set including "Morning Ragas", "Afternoon Ragas", "Evening Ragas", and here we have "Night Ragas".

Save this set for after the glorious sun, once again, has passed us for an evening.


vol .01

1. Raga Shuddh Nat -29:40 / Mallikarjun Mansur - vocal
2. Raga Kedar - 15:15 / Padma Talwalkar - vocal
3. Raga Jhinjhoti - 14:40 / Hariprasad Chaurasia - flute

vol .02

1. Raga Hamir - 15:05 / Padma Talwalkar - vocal
2. Raga Tilak Kamod - 15:00 / Shahid Parvez - sitar
3. Raga Bageshwari - 30:20 / Pandit Jasraj - vocal

vol .03

1. Raga Maru Bihag - 14:45 / Shruti Sadolikar - vocal
2. Raga Jaijaiwanti - 14:45 / Rajan and Sajan Mishra - vocal
3. Raga Malkauns - 29:50 / Hariprasad Chaurasia - flute

vol .04

1. Raga Nayiki Kanhara - 29:45 / Shruti Sadolikar - vocal
2. Raga Des - 15:05 / Pandit Jasraj - vocal
3. Raga Darbari - 13:45 / Amjad Ali Khan - sarod