Misha Khamaj

Mishra Khamaj is a raga-based instrumental track performed by Ustad Bismillah Khan on the shehnai. The composition appears as the eighth track on Shaadi Ki Shehnaiyan, Volume 3, a compilation album released in 2003 under the Saregama label. The album primarily features traditional North Indian classical and semi-classical music tailored for wedding celebrations. The track runs for 10 minutes and 38 seconds and was issued in CD format.

Bismillah Khan rendered the piece in Mishra Khamaj, a raga derived from the Khamaj thaat with characteristics of both shuddha (pure) and komal (flattened) swaras. The recording captures Khan’s signature phrasing and embellishments, emphasizing the shehnai’s expressive range in alankars and taans. The accompaniment details remain undocumented in available sources, though the track adheres to the structural conventions of a semi-classical performance, balancing melodic development with rhythmic cyclicity.

The album Shaadi Ki Shehnaiyan, Volume 3 forms part of a series curated by Saregama to showcase shehnai recitals and light classical compositions associated with Indian weddings. Khan’s contribution to this volume aligns with his broader repertoire of popularizing the shehnai in both classical and ceremonial contexts. No additional session musicians or producers are credited in the track metadata. The release date of 2003 places it among Khan’s later commercial recordings before his death in 2006.

Notable aspects of the track include its extended duration, which allows for elaborate improvisation within the Mishra Khamaj framework. The recording preserves Khan’s live-performance aesthetic, characterized by gradual tempo acceleration and dynamic contrasts. The album itself does not provide liner notes or detailed production credits, limiting further context on the recording session or post-production techniques.