Raag Yaman

Raag Yaman • Raag Shri is a studio album by Indian flutist Pannalal Ghosh, released in 1960 on His Master’s Voice. The recording features two extended classical compositions performed on the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute). The album was issued as a 12\" vinyl LP with two tracks, one per side.

The A-side presents Raag Yaman, a foundational evening raga in the Hindustani classical tradition. Ghosh interprets the raga with alap, jor, and jhala sections followed by a gat in vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) teental (16-beat cycle). The performance emphasizes the raga’s characteristic komal nishad (flattened seventh) and shuddha dhaivat (natural sixth) while showcasing Ghosh’s breath control and gamak (ornamentation) techniques. Accompaniment details remain undocumented, but the recording adheres to the standard khayal-style instrumental format of the era.

The B-side features Raag Shri, a raga traditionally associated with late evening or early night performances. Ghosh’s rendition explores the raga’s asymmetric structure, which combines elements of Raag Purvi and Raag Todi. The composition follows a similar alap-jor-jhala progression before transitioning into a rhythmic gat. The vinyl’s liner notes, if originally included, are not preserved in available archives.

This release exemplifies Ghosh’s role in elevating the bansuri from a folk instrument to a concert-stage solo vehicle. The album’s production quality reflects His Master’s Voice’s engineering standards of the period, with mono audio capture typical of Indian classical recordings in the early 1960s. No reissues or digital remasters have been officially confirmed. Additional session musicians, recording location, and exact release month are not documented in accessible sources.