About Inde du Nord: Sitar
Inde du Nord: Sitar is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Kushal Das. Released in March 2000 under the Ocora label, the recording presents traditional North Indian (Hindustani) raga performances in a solo sitar format. The album captures Das’s interpretation of two principal ragas, Bilaskhani Todi and Sohini, structured across six tracks that follow the classical alap-jor-jhala progression into composed sections with rhythmic accompaniment.
Kushal Das opens the album with a detailed exploration of Raga Bilaskhani Todi, beginning with Alap, a slow, meditative improvisation that establishes the raga’s melodic framework. The subsequent Jhor segment introduces rhythmic pulse while maintaining the raga’s introspective character. The performance transitions into Jhaptal, a 10-beat cycle where Das elaborates on the raga’s thematic material with increasing virtuosity. The final movement, Drut Tin-Tal, accelerates the tempo in a 16-beat cycle, showcasing rapid taans (melodic runs) and intricate layakari (rhythmic play).
The second half of the album features Raga Sohini, a lighter and more lyrical raga traditionally associated with late evening. Das introduces the raga through Aochar, a preliminary improvisation that outlines its ascending and descending phrases. The concluding track, Sitarkhani, adopts a composed gat (melodic theme) set to a steady rhythmic accompaniment, emphasizing the raga’s graceful and flowing nature.
The album was produced as part of Ocora’s Inde du Nord series, which documents traditional and contemporary interpretations of Hindustani classical music. The recording format is CD, with a total runtime distributed across the six tracks. Specific session details, including accompanying artists or recording locations, remain undocumented in available sources. The release aligns with Das’s broader discography, which emphasizes the Etah-Bishnupur gharana style of sitar playing, characterized by its balance of technical precision and emotional depth.