Raga Manj Khamaj

Raga Manj Khamaj is a 15-minute-15-second instrumental composition performed by sitarist Nikhil Banerjee. The track appears as side B’s opening piece (B1) on the 1976 album Le Sitar De Nikhil Banerjee, released by the French label Disques Espérance. The recording was issued on a 12\" vinyl LP, showcasing Banerjee’s interpretation of the semi-classical raga rooted in the Khamaj thaat.

The album captures Banerjee’s mid-career artistry, blending the intricate gayaki ang (vocal-style phrasing) of the Imdadkhani gharana with the rhythmic fluidity characteristic of his performances. The recording session’s accompanying artists remain undocumented in widely available sources, though the format suggests a traditional jugalbandi-style or solo sitar presentation with tanpura drone support. The label Disques Espérance specialized in world music releases during the 1970s, with this album marking one of Banerjee’s few international vinyl distributions outside India.

Raga Manj Khamaj exemplifies the light-classical repertoire often performed in thumri or dadra styles, though Banerjee’s rendition adheres to a more extended alaap-jor-jhala structure before transitioning into the composed gat. The track’s duration allows for elaborate melodic development, with Banerjee employing meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) techniques to emphasize the raga’s emotive shringar (romantic) and bhakti (devotional) themes. No lyricist or composer is credited for the underlying bandish, as the performance follows the improvisational conventions of Hindustani classical music.

The 1976 release date places the album within Banerjee’s period of growing global recognition, following his collaborations with Western artists and tours in Europe. Disques Espérance’s production features analog mastering typical of the era, with the vinyl’s liner notes (where present) often limited to minimal track listings. Later reissues or digital remasters of this recording have not been officially documented, and the original pressing remains a collector’s item among enthusiasts of Indian classical vinyl.