Raga "Miya Ki Malhar"

"Miya Ki Malhar" is a recorded performance of the Hindustani classical raga of the same name. Vilayat Khan performs the piece on sitar. The recording appears on the album Music of India, released in 1962. The format is a 12-inch vinyl record.

Vilayat Khan structures the performance in the traditional alap, jor, and jhala sections, followed by a gat in teental, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle. The track occupies side A of the vinyl and has a duration of 22 minutes and 2 seconds. The album does not list a specific record label.

The raga Miya Ki Malhar belongs to the Malhar family, characterized by its association with the monsoon season. Vilayat Khan introduces the raga’s defining phrases, including the shuddha and komal ni notes, in the alap. The performance progresses through slow, meditative exploration before accelerating into rhythmic interplay with the tabla, though the tabla player remains uncredited on the release.

Music of India presents Vilayat Khan’s interpretation of Miya Ki Malhar as a solo instrumental piece. The recording captures the improvisational nature of Hindustani classical music while adhering to the raga’s prescribed melodic framework. The release date and format reflect the era’s common practices for distributing classical Indian music in the West.