Raga Kausni Kanhara

Raga Kausni Kanhara is a live instrumental recording of the Hindustani classical raga Kausni Kanhara. Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain performed the piece. The performance took place in 1991. The recording lasts 21 minutes and 52 seconds.

Shivkumar Sharma played the santoor, a hammered dulcimer. Zakir Hussain accompanied on the tabla. The performance follows the traditional structure of a Hindustani classical alap, jor, and jhala, followed by a gat in teental. The alap introduces the raga’s melodic framework without rhythmic accompaniment. The jor section establishes a pulse. The jhala accelerates the tempo with rapid strokes on the santoor’s strings.

The gat section features composed phrases interspersed with improvisations. The artists maintain the 16-beat teental cycle throughout this segment. The recording captures the interplay between the santoor’s sustained notes and the tabla’s rhythmic patterns. The performance concludes with a crescendo of improvisational exchanges.

The label Real World Records released the recording in 1992 as part of the album Raga Aberi. The album includes additional performances by the same artists. The context does not specify the exact venue or event for this live recording. The artists have not publicly detailed the specific compositional origins of the gat used in this performance.