About Megh Malhar - Volume Four
Megh Malhar – Volume Four is a studio album in the Hindustani classical tradition released on January 1, 1991. The recording features vocal performances by Kishori Amonkar and shehnai renditions by Ustad Bismillah Khan. The album adopts the jugalbandi format with three tracks centered on monsoon-themed ragas and folk styles.
The album was issued on compact disc without a confirmed label attribution in available sources. The tracklist includes three compositions: Raga Gaud Malhar, a heavy-rain evocation in the Malhar family; Mishra Mel Ki Malhar, a blended variant of the raga; and Kajri, a semi-classical folk song associated with the rainy season. Each track emphasizes improvisational alaap and rhythmic interplay between voice and shehnai.
Kishori Amonkar contributes vocal interpretations rooted in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, while Bismillah Khan performs on the shehnai in the Benaras gharana style. The collaboration marks one of the few recorded instances of the two artists performing together. The album’s repertoire aligns with the broader Megh Malhar series, though specific production details or additional session musicians remain undocumented.
Notable for its fusion of khyal and instrumental traditions, the release exemplifies late 20th-century experiments in Hindustani classical crossover formats. The exact recording location and production personnel are not publicly verified. The album’s reception and commercial performance data are similarly unrecorded in accessible archives.