About Music of India: Rāgas and Tālas
Music of India: Rāgas and Tālas is a 1959 studio album by sitarist Ravi Shankar and tabla player Alla Rakha. The release marked an early collaboration between the two artists in a recorded format. His Master’s Voice issued the album on 12\" vinyl in 1959.
The album features four tracks that showcase North Indian classical music traditions. Ravi Shankar performs on the sitar, while Alla Rakha accompanies on the tabla. The recording captures live studio takes without overdubs. The tracklist includes Rupāk Tāl, a rhythmic composition in a 7-beat cycle, and Rāga Madhu-Kauns, a raga associated with late-night performances. The third track, Rāga Jogiyā, belongs to the Kafi thaat and emphasizes meditative phrasing. The final piece, Dhun, adopts a lighter, folk-inspired melody.
The release context aligns with Shankar’s efforts to introduce Indian classical music to international audiences during the late 1950s. Alla Rakha’s contribution reinforces the percussive framework of the compositions. The album’s liner notes, where present, provide brief explanations of raga structures and tala patterns but omit detailed session documentation. No alternate editions or reissues are confirmed from the available context.
The original pressing carries the His Master’s Voice label catalog number, though the specific identifier remains undocumented in the provided context. The recording session’s exact location and production personnel are not specified. The album’s reception history and commercial performance data are also not included in the source material.