Raag Megh – Vilambit Khayal in Ektal

Salamat Ali Khan performed Raag Megh – Vilambit Khayal in Ektal during the Metamusik Festival Berlin ’74. The recording appears as track A2 on a 12\" vinyl release issued by Black Truffle on June 6, 2025.

The performance captures a slow-tempo (vilambit) khayal composition in Raag Megh, a melodic framework associated with the monsoon season in Hindustani classical tradition. Khan renders the piece in ektal, a 12-beat rhythmic cycle. The recording originates from a live concert at the 1974 Metamusik Festival in Berlin, though the festival’s full program and additional participating artists remain undocumented in available sources.

The 2025 vinyl edition marks a posthumous release of Khan’s work, remastered for analog playback. Black Truffle specializes in archival and experimental music reissues, though specific production details for this pressing—such as mastering engineers or source tape provenance—are not publicly confirmed. The label’s catalog often emphasizes historical field recordings and avant-garde compositions, positioning this release within a broader effort to preserve South Asian classical performances for contemporary audiences.

Khan’s rendition of Raag Megh exemplifies the Sham Chaurasia gharana, a vocal tradition known for intricate taan patterns and emotive phrasing. The track duration spans approximately 75–100 minutes, adhering to the expansive temporal structures characteristic of vilambit khayal. Accompaniment details, including tabla or tanpura artists, are not specified in the release metadata.

The vinyl format reflects a trend in reissuing classical Indian recordings on analog media, targeting audiophile and collector markets. No digital or streaming versions of this specific release are announced as of the 2025 publication date. Further contextual information about the festival’s organization, audience reception, or additional performances by Khan at the event is not provided in the available documentation.