Introduction

Introduction is the opening track from the 1995 collaborative album Eb'adat – Ragini Yamani, released by Navras Records in CD format. The composition features a 57-second instrumental prelude performed by sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan and shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

The track serves as an introductory alap to the raga Yamani, a rare and intricate melodic framework within the Hindustani classical tradition. Vilayat Khan establishes the raga’s contour with sparse, resonant sitar phrases, while Bismillah Khan responds with measured shehnai embellishments. The interplay emphasizes the contrast between the sitar’s sustained meend (glissando) and the shehnai’s reedy timbre.

Eb'adat – Ragini Yamani documents one of the few recorded collaborations between the two ustads, both recipients of India’s highest civilian honors for their contributions to classical music. The album’s production credits and additional session details remain undocumented in publicly available sources. The track’s brevity and improvisational nature reflect the conventional role of an alap in classical performances, setting the tonal and emotional foundation for subsequent developments.

Navras Records, a Mumbai-based label specializing in Indian classical and devotional music, issued the album as part of its late-20th-century catalog. No alternate mixes, live versions, or reissues of this specific recording have been verified. The track’s title, Introduction, appears as listed on the original CD release; variant spellings or regional naming conventions for the raga may exist in other contexts.