Raga Mangal-Bhairav

Parween Sultana recorded Raga Mangal-Bhairav as track B2 on the 1973 album Khayal and Thumri. The Gramophone Company of India Limited released the work on a 12\" vinyl format. The composition exemplifies the khayal genre within the Hindustani classical tradition, though specific performance details such as taal structure or accompanying artists remain undocumented in available sources.

The album pairs khayal renditions with thumri, a lighter semi-classical form, reflecting Sultana’s versatility in both styles. Raga Mangal-Bhairav belongs to the Bhairav thaat and typically employs the shuddha dhaivat (natural sixth) and komal re (flattened second). Sultana’s interpretation adheres to the gayaki (vocal) tradition of the Patiala gharana, though the recording does not specify the duration or live/concert context of the performance.

The Gramophone Company of India Limited, a subsidiary of EMI, produced the vinyl under its classical music catalog. The label’s archives from this period frequently featured prominent Hindustani vocalists, and Sultana’s inclusion aligned with her rising prominence in the 1970s. No reissues or digital remasters of this specific track have been confirmed in public records. The original pressing remains a collector’s item for enthusiasts of vintage Indian classical recordings.

Notable aspects of the track include its adherence to the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) sections conventional to khayal presentations. Sultana’s use of meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) in Raga Mangal-Bhairav demonstrates her technical command, though no formal reviews or contemporary critiques of this particular recording are widely accessible. The album cover and liner notes, if originally included, have not been archived in digital repositories.