Sitar Wizard

Sitar Wizard is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Budhaditya Mukherjee, released on January 1, 1977. The album serves as a solo instrumental recording under the khayal and dhrupad-influenced traditions of Hindustani classical music. Mukherjee performs all three compositions on the sitar, accompanied by an unspecified ensemble of tabla and tanpura players.

The album contains three tracks. Raga Mian Ki Todi opens the recording with an alaap-jor-jhala exploration of the morning raga, characterized by its intricate melodic phrasing and slow, meditative development. Raga Yaman follows as the centerpiece, rendered in the evening raga’s symmetrical structure and expansive improvisations. The final track, Mishra Kafi Tappa, blends the tappa style’s rhythmic vitality with the kafi raga’s folk-inspired melodic contours.

No official label information is documented for this release. The recording format and production details remain unverified in available sources. The album’s title reflects Mukherjee’s technical virtuosity and adherence to the gayaki ang (vocal-style) approach on the sitar, a hallmark of his performances during the 1970s.

Budhaditya Mukherjee (1955–2010) belonged to the Imdadkhani gharana and trained under his father, the sitarist Bimalendu Mukherjee, and later under Mushtaq Ali Khan. Sitar Wizard emerged during his early career, preceding his later collaborations with international artists and his role as a torchbearer of the Etawah-Jaipur sitar tradition.