Raga Abir Bhairav

Raga Abir Bhairav is a live recording of a khayal performance by Hindustani classical vocalist Gangubai Hangal. The track appears as the opening piece on the compilation album Masterworks From The NCPA Archives, released on 2011 by Sony Music in CD format. The performance spans 47 minutes and 42 seconds, showcasing Hangal’s interpretation of the morning raga Abir Bhairav, a variant of the traditional Bhairav raga characterized by its use of the komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth) scales.

The recording captures Hangal’s vocal technique, marked by deep tonal control, intricate taan patterns, and a deliberate exploration of the raga’s emotional depth. Accompaniment details for this track remain undocumented in the available context, though typical khayal performances of this era often featured harmonium, tabla, and tanpura. The album Masterworks From The NCPA Archives compiles archival recordings from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, preserving historically significant performances by leading Indian classical artists.

Gangubai Hangal (1913–2009) belonged to the Kirana gharana and was renowned for her powerful voice and adherence to traditional repertoire. This recording reflects her mature style, likely from a concert held at the NCPA in an unspecified year prior to the album’s 2011 release. The tracklist and liner notes of the compilation do not provide the exact performance date, but the album’s archival nature suggests the recording originates from the late 20th or early 21st century. No alternate versions or commercial reissues of this specific performance have been documented.