Raag Gorakh Kalayan

Raag Gorakh Kalyan is a Hindustani classical music recording by sitarist Kushal Das. The performance was released in 2018. The primary format is a digital audio track with a duration of 12 minutes and 15 seconds. The recording features an alap, jor, and jhala progression, followed by a gat in Teentaal (16-beat cycle). Kushal Das performs the raag in the traditional dhrupad-influenced style, emphasizing slow, meditative exploration in the alap section.

The raag Gorakh Kalyan belongs to the Kalyan thaat and is characterized by its use of the shuddha (natural) and teevra (sharp) Ma (fourth) notes. The composition adheres to the prescribed aroha (ascent) and avaroha (descent) of the raag: Sa Re Ga Ma# Pa Dha Ni Sa' and Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma# Ga Re Sa. Kushal Das incorporates meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) to highlight the raag's emotional depth.

The recording does not list a specific label. The track is part of a broader collection of Hindustani classical performances by Kushal Das, though the exact album or compilation title remains unconfirmed. The performance demonstrates the artist's technical precision and interpretive approach to raag development, particularly in the interplay between melody and rhythm during the gat section.

Kushal Das is a disciple of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty and Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta. He has performed extensively in India and internationally, contributing to the preservation and propagation of the Maihar gharana's sitar tradition. The recording of Raag Gorakh Kalyan reflects his training in both the dhrupad and khayal vocal traditions, as well as his expertise in instrumental rendition.