Raga Bilaskhani Todi: Vilambit Ek Taal

Raga Bilaskhani Todi: Vilambit Ek Taal is a khayal-based instrumental composition performed by violinist Kala Ramnath. The track appears as the opening piece on her 1997 studio album Singing Violin, released under the label Neelam Audio and Video, Inc. in CD format. The recording spans 20 minutes and 50 seconds, showcasing an extended alap-jor-jhala progression in the vilambit ek taal (slow 12-beat cycle) characteristic of the Dhrupad-ang gayaki style.

The performance emphasizes the Bilaskhani Todi raga, a variant of the Todi thaat distinguished by its use of komal re (flattened second), tivra ma (sharp fourth), and oscillating ga (third). Ramnath employs the violin’s sustained bowing techniques to replicate vocal inflections, a hallmark of her interpretive approach. The album title Singing Violin reflects this vocalistic phrasing, aligning with the gayaki ang (vocal-style) tradition in Hindustani instrumental music.

The 1997 release marked one of Ramnath’s early commercial recordings, following her establishment as a disciple of the Mewati gharana under Pandit Jasraj. While the album’s full tracklist and production details remain partially undocumented, Raga Bilaskhani Todi: Vilambit Ek Taal stands as its longest and most structurally elaborate piece. The accompanying artists, if any, are not credited in available sources.

The label Neelam Audio and Video, Inc., based in the United States, specialized in North Indian classical music releases during the 1990s. The CD format of Singing Violin catered to diasporic audiences and connoisseurs of Hindustani instrumental traditions. Later reissues or digital remasters of the album have not been verified in public records.