The Exotic Santoor

The Exotic Santoor is a studio album by Indian classical musician Tarun Bhattacharya, released on April 14, 1993. The album showcases Bhattacharya’s mastery of the santoor, a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer of Kashmiri origin, through a blend of classical raga performances and folk-inspired melodies. The recording emphasizes the instrument’s resonant timbre and technical versatility within the Hindustani classical tradition.

Bhattacharya structures the album around Raga Charukeshi, a carnatic raga adapted into Hindustani classical music. The composition unfolds in three movements: an alap (slow, improvisational introduction), followed by jor (rhythmic development) and jhala (fast, percussive climax). The subsequent tracks feature two gats (fixed melodic compositions) in vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) teental, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle. These sections demonstrate Bhattacharya’s precision in taan (melodic phrases) and layakari (rhythmic play).

The album also includes two folk melodies arranged for santoor: Bhatiyalli and Pahadi. These tracks adapt regional folk tunes from the Himalayan and Uttarakhand traditions, retaining their lyrical simplicity while incorporating classical ornamentation. The label and production details for the release remain undocumented in available sources.

The tracklist comprises five recordings: Raga: Charukeshi (Aalap, Jor & Jhala), Raga: Charukeshi (Gat In Vilambit Teental), Raga: Charukeshi (Gat In Drut Teental), Folk Melody In Bhatiyalli, and Folk Melody In Pahadi. The total runtime is not specified in public records.

Bhattacharya’s performance on The Exotic Santoor contributed to the instrument’s growing recognition in 20th-century Indian classical music. The album exemplifies his role in expanding the santoor’s repertoire beyond traditional Kashmiri music into broader Hindustani classical and semi-classical forms.