Raag Maand

Raag Maand is a track from the 1991 collaborative album Sur Taal by Indian classical musicians Ustad Sultan Khan and Zakir Hussain. The album was released on CD under the T-Series label. The composition spans 7 minutes and 37 seconds and appears as the second track on the recording.

Ustad Sultan Khan performed on the sarangi, a bowed string instrument central to Hindustani classical music. Zakir Hussain accompanied on the tabla, providing rhythmic support and improvisation. The track showcases an interpretation of Raag Maand, a raga traditionally associated with the late evening or early night and characterized by its use of komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth) in the descent. The performance emphasizes the raga’s lyrical and meditative qualities through alaap-style phrasing and rhythmic interplay.

The album Sur Taal represents a fusion of vocal and instrumental traditions in Hindustani classical music. Sultan Khan and Zakir Hussain had previously collaborated on live performances and studio recordings, but this album formalized their partnership in a structured format. The release date of 1991 places it within a period of growing international recognition for Indian classical music, particularly through cross-genre collaborations. T-Series, the producing label, distributed the album primarily in India, with later availability in global markets through specialty importers.

No additional details about the recording sessions, alternate takes, or live renditions of this track are publicly documented. The album’s liner notes, if included, are not widely archived in digital formats. The track remains a reference for studies of sarangi-tabla jugalbandi and the adaptation of vocal ragas to instrumental performance.