Raga Kirwani

Raga Kirwani is a Hindustani classical music album by santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma. The recording features a single, extended performance of the raga Kirwani. Shivkumar Sharma performs the raga on the santoor, accompanied by tabla. The album was released in 1992. The primary format is an audio recording.

Raga Kirwani belongs to the Kafi thaat and is characterized by its pentatonic ascent (aaroh) and heptatonic descent (avroh). The performance follows the traditional structure of alap, jor, jhala, and gat, with improvisations in the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) tempos. Shivkumar Sharma explores the raga’s melodic contours through intricate meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) techniques on the santoor.

The tabla accompaniment is provided by an unnamed artist. The recording captures the interplay between the santoor and tabla, emphasizing rhythmic cycles (taals) such as Teentaal (16 beats) and Ektaal (12 beats). The album does not list a specific record label. The duration of the performance is 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 39 seconds.

Notable aspects of the performance include Shivkumar Sharma’s command over the santoor’s tonal range and his ability to sustain the raga’s emotional depth. The recording remains a reference for students and practitioners of Hindustani classical music studying Kirwani. The exact release date within 1992 is not specified in available sources.