About The Heavenly Sound of Santoor
The Heavenly Sound of Santoor is an Indian classical music album by santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma. The album was released on January 1, 1977. It features three instrumental tracks performed on the santoor, a traditional hammered dulcimer from the Kashmir region of India.
Shivkumar Sharma recorded the album in a live concert setting. The release captures his improvisational style and technical mastery of the santoor. The album does not list a specific record label in available sources.
The first track, Raga Rageshwari, spans two sections. The Madhyalaya portion is set to Jaytaal, a 13-beat rhythmic cycle. The Drut section follows in Tritaal, a 16-beat cycle. The performance demonstrates the raga’s melodic structure through alap, jor, and jhala phases before transitioning into the rhythmic compositions.
The second track, Raga Sohni, is performed in Ektaal, a 12-beat cycle. Sharma explores the raga’s evening mood with slow, meditative phrases in the vilambit section, progressing to faster taans and rhythmic interplay in the drut portion.
The third track, Mishra Tilang, is set to Taal Kaharwa, an 8-beat cycle. The composition blends elements of Raga Tilang with lighter, folk-inspired phrases. Sharma incorporates gamak and meend techniques to emphasize the raga’s characteristic notes.
The album exemplifies Sharma’s role in popularizing the santoor as a solo instrument in Hindustani classical music. It remains a reference recording for students and enthusiasts of the genre. The original release format was a vinyl LP. No additional musicians or accompanists are credited on the album.