About India: Raga purya kalyan
India: Raga Purya Kalyan is a studio album featuring a jugalbandi collaboration between santoor virtuoso Shivkumar Sharma and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. The release captures a live-to-tape performance of North Indian classical music, emphasizing the raga Purya Kalyan in the Hindustani tradition.
The album was released on January 1, 1991 in a two-track format. The primary label remains undocumented in available sources. The recording centers on an extended exploration of Raga Purya Kalyan, a late-evening raga associated with the Kalyan thaat. The second track, Dadra, serves as a lighter rhythmic contrast, structured in the six-beat dadra tal.
Shivkumar Sharma performs on the santoor, a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer adapted for Indian classical music. His rendition of Purya Kalyan employs the raga’s characteristic phrases, including the komal re (flattened second) in descent and the tivra ma (sharp fourth) in ascent. Zakir Hussain accompanies on tabla, integrating complex rhythmic cycles and improvisational bols (syllabic patterns) that dialogue with Sharma’s melodic development.
The album exemplifies the jugalbandi format, where two soloists engage in spontaneous interplay while adhering to the raga’s grammatical framework. The recording session’s location and production personnel are not specified in accessible references. The total runtime exceeds 60 minutes, with Raga Purya Kalyan occupying the majority of the duration.
Notable for its technical precision and emotive depth, the album reflects the artists’ long-standing partnership, which began in the 1960s. Both musicians had previously collaborated on recordings and live performances, contributing to the global dissemination of Hindustani classical music. The release aligns with their broader discography of raga-based albums, though specific sales figures or chart performances remain unrecorded.