Raga Bageshri

Raga Bageshri is a 25-minute-58-second instrumental track recorded by bansuri flute virtuoso G.S. Sachdev and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. The composition appears as the second track on the album Master of the Bamboo Flute Volume II, released in 1989. The album belongs to the North Indian classical (Hindustani) tradition and showcases the bansuri as the primary melodic instrument accompanied by tabla percussion.

The recording captures a live or studio rendition of Raga Bageshri, a late-evening raga associated with the Kafi thaat. Sachdev performs the melodic improvisations on the bansuri, while Hussain provides rhythmic support and solo interludes on the tabla. The track follows the conventional structure of alaap, jor, and jhala in the slower sections, transitioning into faster gat compositions with layered rhythmic cycles (tala).

The album Master of the Bamboo Flute Volume II was issued in 1989 under an unspecified label. The release format included physical media typical of the era, such as cassette tape and compact disc, though specific distribution details remain undocumented. The collaboration between Sachdev and Hussain on this track exemplifies the improvisational dialogue between melody and percussion in Hindustani classical music.

No additional production credits, session details, or alternate versions of this recording are publicly verified. The track stands as a representative work of Sachdev’s bansuri repertoire and Hussain’s tabla accompaniment during the late 1980s.