About Ragas Nat Bilawal & Rageshree
Ragas Nat Bilawal & Rageshree is a studio album by Indian classical vocalist and sitarist Ustad Bahadur Khan. Released in 1995 under the Multitone label, the recording presents two extended raga performances in the Hindustani classical tradition. The album appeared in CD format as part of Multitone’s series of classical Indian music releases during the mid-1990s.
Bahadur Khan performs both ragas on the sitar, accompanied by an unspecified ensemble of tabla and tanpura players. The tracklist consists of two compositions: Raga Nat Bilawal and Raga Rageshree. Each track follows the traditional alaap-jor-jhala structure, progressing through slow elaboration to faster rhythmic sections. The album omits detailed liner notes, and the specific recording location or session dates remain undocumented in available sources.
Raga Nat Bilawal opens the album with a morning raga derived from the Bilawal thaat. Khan’s interpretation emphasizes the raga’s characteristic phrases, including the use of komal nishad (flattened seventh) in descent. The performance transitions from a meditative alaap to intricate taans (fast melodic runs) in the latter sections. Raga Rageshree, the second track, belongs to the Kafi thaat and features a late-night mood. Khan explores its sinuous melodies, often lingering on the gandhar (third) and dhaivat (sixth) notes to evoke its emotive quality.
The album’s production reflects the recording standards of its era, with a focus on capturing the acoustic resonance of the sitar and accompanying instruments. Multitone’s release positioned the work within a broader catalog of North Indian classical music, though specific sales figures or critical reception from 1995 are not widely archived. Bahadur Khan’s renditions on this album contribute to the documented repertoire of 20th-century Hindustani instrumental music, particularly within the gayaki ang (vocal-style) sitar tradition associated with his lineage.