The Four Cardinal Times

The Four Cardinal Times is a sitar composition by Anoushka Shankar, released as a standalone track in an unspecified format and year. The piece spans a duration of 4 minutes and 44 seconds. Shankar composed and performed the work on sitar, continuing her exploration of Indian classical music within contemporary frameworks.

The track title references the four cardinal directions in Vedic tradition, though the musical interpretation remains abstract. Shankar employs raga-inspired phrasing and rhythmic cycles characteristic of the Hindustani tradition, blended with modern production techniques. The recording lacks a confirmed label association or album context, suggesting a possible digital single release or inclusion in a compilation not documented in available sources.

Notable elements include Shankar’s use of jhala (fast strumming) passages and meend (glissando) techniques, which create dynamic contrasts. The composition avoids traditional alaap-jor-jhala structure, opting for a condensed, thematic approach. Accompaniment details, if any, remain unverified in public records. The track exemplifies Shankar’s style of merging classical rigor with accessible melodic contours.

Release metadata beyond the title, artist, and duration is incomplete. No liner notes, session musicians, or production credits are publicly attributed to the work. The absence of contextual documentation limits further classification of its thematic or technical intent.