Dhun - Dadra

Dhun – Dadra is an instrumental sitar composition performed by Ustad Rais Khan. The track appears as side B, track 2 (B2) on the 1969 album Instrumental Sitar, released under the His Master’s Voice label. The recording was issued on a 12\" vinyl format.

The album belongs to the Hindustani classical music tradition, with Dhun – Dadra exemplifying the light-classical dadra form. Rais Khan, a disciple of the Indore-Mewati gharana, adapted the composition for sitar, emphasizing melodic phrasing and rhythmic fluidity. The track duration and additional session musicians remain undocumented in available sources.

Instrumental Sitar marked an early commercial release in Rais Khan’s career, preceding his later collaborations with vocalists and orchestral ensembles. The His Master’s Voice imprint, a subsidiary of EMI India, distributed the vinyl primarily in the South Asian market. No reissues or digital remasters of this specific recording have been confirmed.

Notable features of the track include the use of jhala (rhythmic strumming) in the latter sections and a restrained alaap-style introduction. The accompanying tabla artist is uncredited in the original liner notes. The album cover art and catalog number are not preserved in public archives.