About Excellence on the Sitar
Excellence on the Sitar is a studio album featuring sitarists Shujaat Husain Khan and Enayet Hossain. The recording captures a jugalbandi performance in the Hindustani classical tradition. Aimrec released the album on compact disc on May 19, 1992.
Shujaat Husain Khan and Enayet Hossain present three tracks that emphasize raga elaboration and rhythmic interplay. The opening composition explores Raga Jhinjhoti through its alap, jor, and jhala sections. The second track develops the same raga with a gat set in vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) teental, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle. The album concludes with Bhatiyalli Dhun, a folk-inspired piece rooted in the Rajasthani bhatiyali tradition.
The recording session details remain undocumented beyond the release date and label. Aimrec produced the album as part of its catalog of Indian classical music. The liner notes or accompanying documentation do not appear in publicly accessible archives, leaving the specific recording location and production personnel unverified. The album’s reception and commercial performance also lack published accounts.
Shujaat Husain Khan contributed as both a performer and a representative of the Imdadkhani gharana, known for its gayaki ang (vocal-style) sitar technique. Enayet Hossain represented the Maihar gharana, founded by Allauddin Khan. The collaboration marked a meeting of two distinct stylistic approaches within the sitar repertoire.
The album’s format adhered to the standard CD length of the era, with a total runtime spread across three tracks. The packaging design and artwork details are not described in available sources. Aimrec distributed the release in India and select international markets, though the extent of its global availability remains unconfirmed.