Sitar

Sitar is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Budhaditya Mukherjee, released on January 1, 1983. The album belongs to the Hindustani classical music tradition and features Mukherjee as the sole instrumentalist. The release label remains undocumented in available sources.

The album comprises three tracks, each centered on a distinct raga. The opening piece, Raga Lalit: Alap and Gat in Teental, showcases the slow, meditative alap followed by a structured gat in the 16-beat teental rhythmic cycle. The second track, Raga Sahana: Gat in Teental, emphasizes melodic development within the same rhythmic framework. The concluding piece, Raga Pilu (In Thumri Style): Gat in Teental, adopts the semi-classical thumri style, blending lyrical phrasing with the teental cycle.

Mukherjee’s performance on this release reflects the Etawah-Baj or Vilayat Khan style of sitar playing, characterized by intricate taans (fast melodic runs) and a balanced approach to alap and jor. The recording captures the acoustic resonance of the sitar without additional accompaniment, though the presence of a tanpura drone is implied by convention. No vocal contributions or percussion accompaniment beyond the implied teental structure appear in the documented tracklist.

The album’s production details, including recording location, engineers, and physical format (LP, cassette, or later reissues), are not specified in available records. The release date aligns with Mukherjee’s early career phase, following his training under Mushtaq Ali Khan and subsequent establishment as a solo artist. Later re-releases or digital remasters of Sitar, if any, remain unconfirmed.