About Raga Darbari Kanada (North India - Surbahar)
Raga Darbari Kanada (North India – Surbahar) is a 2023 Indian classical music album by sitar and surbahar player Kushal Das. The release presents a single raga, Darbari Kanada, performed on the surbahar, a bass variant of the sitar. The album contains three tracks that follow the traditional Hindustani classical structure of alap, jhor, and jhala.
Kushal Das recorded the performance in a live concert setting. The album does not list a specific record label. The first track, Raga Darbari Kanada – Alap, introduces the raga’s melodic framework in a slow, meditative tempo. The second track, Raga Darbari Kanada – Jhor, increases the rhythmic density while maintaining the raga’s characteristic mood. The final track, Raga Darbari Kanada – Jhala, concludes the performance with rapid, intricate plucking patterns.
Darbari Kanada is a late-night raga associated with the Kafi thaat in Hindustani classical music. The raga features a somber, introspective mood and employs microtonal inflections, particularly in the use of komal (flat) re and dha. The surbahar’s deeper tonal range allows for extended exploration of the raga’s lower octaves. The release date is November 3, 2023.
The album does not include additional musicians or accompaniment. The total duration of the recording is not specified in the available context. The tracklist consists solely of the three movements of the raga performance.