Raga Chandani Kedar - Part I

A Night at the Taj is a live album featuring a performance by sitarists Ustad Vilayat Khan and Ustad Imrat Khan. The recording captures a 1967 concert held at an unspecified venue associated with the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. His Master’s Voice released the album on vinyl in 1967.

The album includes a single extended track titled Raga Chandani Kedar, spanning 39 minutes and 45 seconds. The composition follows the structure of the eponymous raga, a late-night melody in the Kafi thaat traditionally performed during the monsoon season. Vilayat Khan and Imrat Khan perform on the sitar, with the recording emphasizing their distinct gayaki ang (vocal-style) phrasing and taan patterns. The absence of accompanying artists such as tabla or tanpura players suggests either an intentional solo presentation or incomplete documentation of the session.

The vinyl release carries the His Master’s Voice label, a subsidiary of EMI India at the time. The album cover and liner notes, if originally included, are not described in available sources. The recording format adheres to the analog standards of the era, with no confirmed reissues on digital or remastered media. The track sequence designates Raga Chandani Kedar as Side A, implying a potential second side or companion piece that remains unverified in public records.

Vilayat Khan and Imrat Khan represented the Imdadkhani gharana, a lineage known for its intricate khayal-inspired sitar techniques. Their collaboration on this album reflects the mid-20th-century trend of recording classical Indian music for commercial distribution, targeting both domestic and international audiences. The 1967 release date aligns with a period of growing global interest in North Indian classical music, coinciding with the careers of artists like Ravi Shankar.