About When Time Stood Still
When Time Stood Still is a 1982 Indian classical music album by santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma and tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain. The release presents a live performance recorded in a concert setting. The album features five extended compositions that showcase the interplay between the santoor and tabla.
Shivkumar Sharma performs on the santoor, a hammered dulcimer of Kashmiri origin. Zakir Hussain accompanies on the tabla, a pair of hand-played drums central to Hindustani classical music. The album does not list a specific record label. The release date is January 1, 1982.
The tracklist includes Raga Kausni Kanhara, a meditative raga performed in a slow, expansive alap followed by a rhythmic gat. The second track, Malkauns & Darbari Kanhara, blends two distinct ragas, Malkauns and Darbari Kanhara, into a single progression. The third track, Mishra Kafi Ohun, introduces a lighter, semi-classical mood before transitioning into the Raga Mala suite.
The Raga Mala suite occupies the final three tracks. The first segment, Raga Mala - Alap, establishes the melodic framework without rhythmic accompaniment. The second segment, Raga Mala - Jod, introduces a steady pulse while maintaining improvisational freedom. The concluding segment, Raga Mala - Roopak, adopts a seven-beat cycle (Roopak taal) and builds toward a climactic finale.
The album captures the spontaneous dialogue between Sharma and Hussain, emphasizing improvisation within the structured framework of Hindustani classical music. The release does not include liner notes or additional contextual information about the performance venue or audience.