About Ragas Bhimpalasi & Shuddha Nat
Ragas Bhimpalasi & Shuddha Nat is a studio album by Indian classical vocalist Mallikarjun Mansur. Released on January 1, 1992, the album features two khayal performances in the Hindustani classical tradition. The recording captures Mansur’s renditions of Raga Bhimpalasi and Raga Shuddha Nat, both staple ragas of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana to which he belonged.
The album consists of two tracks. The first track presents Raga Bhimpalasi, a late afternoon raga associated with the Kafi thaat and characterized by its use of komal gandhar (flattened third) in descent. The second track features Raga Shuddha Nat, a rare raga derived from the Bhairav thaat, distinguished by its shuddha dhaivat (natural sixth) and shuddha nishad (natural seventh). Both compositions adhere to the khayal format, with Mansur accompanied by traditional instrumental support, though specific accompanying artists remain undocumented in available sources.
The release format of the album is not explicitly confirmed, but it circulated primarily on audio cassette and later in digital reissues. No commercial label is consistently attributed to the original release, though later distributions appeared under various classical music imprints. The recordings exemplify Mansur’s vocal technique, marked by intricate taan patterns, deliberate phrasing, and adherence to the gharana’s stylistic principles.
Mallikarjun Mansur (1910–1992) was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1966) and the Padma Bhushan (1976), and this album emerged late in his career. The performances reflect his mature interpretation of the ragas, emphasizing emotional depth and technical precision. Further details regarding the recording sessions, production personnel, or alternate editions are not widely documented.