About Raga Marwa
Raga Marwa is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Ustad Imrat Khan, released in 1992. The recording presents a full-length interpretation of Raga Marwa, a raga associated with the Marwa thaat and traditionally performed in the late evening or early night. The album was issued on compact disc by Nimbus Records as part of its series on North Indian classical music.
Imrat Khan performs the sitar in the Etawah baj style, a tradition linked to his lineage as a descendant of the Imdadkhani gharana. The album captures a solo recital structure, beginning with a gradual alap that establishes the raga’s melodic framework. The performance progresses through jor and jhala sections, followed by two gats (fixed compositions) set in madhya Jhaptal (medium-paced 10-beat cycle) and drut Tintal (fast 16-beat cycle). Accompaniment details remain undocumented in available sources, but the format adheres to the conventional khayal-style instrumental presentation.
The tracklist comprises four movements: Raga Marwa: Alap, Raga Marwa: Jor - Jhala, Raga Marwa: Gat - madhya Jhaptal, and Raga Marwa: Gat - drut Tintal. The recording emphasizes the raga’s characteristic phrases, including the use of komal re (flattened second) and tivra ma (sharp fourth), which define its emotive and structural identity. The 1992 release date aligns with Khan’s period of international recognition, during which he performed and recorded extensively in Europe and North America.
The album’s production credits and session details are not fully archived in public records. Nimbus Records, a UK-based label specializing in classical and traditional music, distributed the release as part of its catalog dedicated to Indian classical instrumental works. The recording stands as one of Imrat Khan’s documented studio performances of Raga Marwa, though live renditions from his concert career may exist in private or broadcast archives.