Alap, Jor, Jhala in Raag Malkauns

Raag Malkauns: Bombay 1968 is a live recording of a Dhrupad performance by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The album captures a 1968 concert held in Bombay and was released on CD in 2005 by Country & Eastern.

The recording features a single track titled Alap, Jor, Jhala in Raag Malkauns with a duration of 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 16 seconds. The performance adheres to the Dhrupad tradition, emphasizing the slow, meditative development of the raga through its three sections: Alap (unmetered introduction), Jor (rhythmic elaboration), and Jhala (fast-paced climax). The artists employ the rudra veena, a fretless string instrument central to the Dagarvani style of Dhrupad.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar belong to the Dagar family, a lineage renowned for preserving the Dhrupad tradition. The 1968 performance reflects their mastery of Raag Malkauns, a pentatonic raga associated with late evening renditions. The recording omits accompaniment, focusing solely on the veena and vocal interplay characteristic of the Dagar brothers’ collaborative style.

The 2005 release by Country & Eastern presents the concert in its original unedited form. No additional tracks or supplementary material accompany the CD. The label specializes in archival and traditional music, and this release forms part of its efforts to document historical performances of Indian classical music. Further details about the recording venue, audience, or production circumstances remain undocumented in available sources.