Raga Kirwani / Raga Imni Bilawal

Raga Kirwani / Raga Imni Bilawal is a studio album by Indian classical musician Ali Akbar Khan. Khan released the album on January 1, 1967. The recording features two extended raga performances in the Hindustani classical tradition.

Khan performs both compositions on the sarod, an instrument central to his artistic legacy. The album includes two tracks: Raga Kirwani and Raga Imni Bilawal. The release format and label remain undocumented in available sources, but the work aligns with Khan’s broader discography of instrumental raga recordings from the 1960s.

The first track, Raga Kirwani, showcases Khan’s interpretation of a raga associated with the late evening or early night. The second track, Raga Imni Bilawal, explores a variant of the Bilawal thaat, a foundational scale in North Indian classical music. Both performances adhere to the alap-jor-jhala structure typical of instrumental khyal presentations.

Khan’s renditions on this album reflect his training under his father, Allauddin Khan, and his role in popularizing the sarod globally. The recording period coincides with his tenure as a faculty member at the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, where he taught Hindustani music to international students. Additional session details, including accompanying artists or production personnel, are not confirmed in public records.

The album contributes to Khan’s recorded output of the era, which often emphasized solo sarod recitals without percussion accompaniment. Later reissues or compilations featuring these tracks may exist, but the original 1967 release stands as the primary documented edition.