Raga Imni Bilawal

Raga Imni Bilawal is a recording of the Imni Bilawal raga performed by sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan. The composition exemplifies the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) sections of the raga in the Alap-Jor-Jhala structure, followed by a rhythmic exposition in Teen Tal (16-beat cycle). Khan accompanies himself on the sarod, with tabla support from an unidentified artist.

The recording date and original release format remain undocumented in widely accessible sources. The work circulates primarily through archival compilations and reissues, often grouped with Khan’s other classical performances. No commercial label attribution is consistently verified for the initial release, though later compilations appear under labels such as Connoisseur Society and Navras Records. The raga belongs to the Bilawal thaat and is noted for its meditative, expansive alap that explores the shuddha (natural) and komal (flattened) variations of the ni (seventh) and re (second) notes.

A live rendition of Raga Imni Bilawal by Khan was captured during a 1965 concert at the Ali Akbar College of Music in Kolkata, later released as part of the album Legacy: Ali Akbar Khan in Concert (2004) by Navras Records. This version spans approximately 42 minutes and features Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla. The performance opens with an extended alap that gradually introduces the jor and jhala sections before transitioning into the composed gat in Teen Tal. The recording highlights Khan’s use of meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) techniques, characteristic of the Seniya-Maihar gharana style he inherited from his father, Allauddin Khan.

No standalone studio album titled Raga Imni Bilawal exists in Khan’s official discography. The raga appears intermittently in his live recordings and instructional materials, including the Master Classes series (1990s) distributed by the Ali Akbar College of Music. The 1965 concert version remains one of the most referenced interpretations due to its clarity and structural depth. Additional details on alternate recordings or commercial releases require verification from primary archival sources.