Khayalnuma

Khayalnuma is a studio album of Hindustani classical vocal music performed by Ulhas Kashalkar. Saregama released the recording on CD in 2008 as part of its classical music catalog. The album captures Kashalkar’s interpretations of three raga compositions in the khayal style, a prominent form in North Indian classical tradition.

The album contains three tracks. Kashalkar opens with Raga Malkauns, a pentatonic raga associated with late evening performances. The second track features Raga Basant Bahar, a rare combination of Raga Basant and Raga Bahar, often rendered in the spring season. The final track presents Raga Des, a melodic structure linked to the late evening or early night time frame. Each composition follows the conventional khayal format with alap, bandish, and improvisational taans.

Ulhas Kashalkar provides the lead vocals and likely guides the accompanying ensemble, though specific instrumentalists remain undocumented in available sources. The recording emphasizes the Gwaliar and Jaipur-Atrauli gharanas, styles Kashalkar studied under his gurus including Gajananbuwa Joshi and Kumar Gandharva. Saregama produced the album with standard studio engineering practices for classical releases of the period, prioritizing clarity in vocal delivery and tanpura drone support.

The 2008 release aligns with Kashalkar’s broader discography, which spans traditional khayal, semi-classical forms, and devotional music. Khayalnuma serves as one of his commercial recordings under Saregama, a label historically associated with archiving and distributing Indian classical music. No live performance or alternate versions of these tracks appear in public records, confirming the album’s status as a dedicated studio project.

Critical reception and commercial performance details for Khayalnuma are not widely documented. The album remains available through physical CD distributions and select digital platforms, catering to audiences of Hindustani vocal music. The track durations and precise recording locations are unspecified in accessible sources.