Râga Mohanam: Kriti

L. Subramaniam recorded Rāga Mohanam: Kriti as the second track on side A of the 1984 album Le violon de l’Inde du Sud. The composition features Subramaniam on violin in a Carnatic classical interpretation of Rāga Mohanam, a janya rāga derived from the 28th melakarta scale, Harikambhoji. The album marked one of Subramaniam’s early international releases under the French label Ocora, known for its ethnomusicological recordings.

The release appeared on a 12\" vinyl LP with a focus on South Indian classical violin traditions. Subramaniam accompanied the primary melody with characteristic gamaka-inflected phrasing, though specific session musicians or percussionists remain undocumented in widely available sources. The track exemplifies the kriti format, a fixed composition with lyrics traditionally set in Sanskrit, Telugu, or Tamil, though the album’s liner notes do not confirm the language or composer of this particular piece.

Le violon de l’Inde du Sud emerged during a period when Subramaniam expanded Carnatic music’s global reach through collaborations and solo recordings. Ocora distributed the vinyl primarily in European markets, targeting audiences interested in world music and classical Indian forms. The album’s production emphasized acoustic fidelity, capturing the violin’s tonal nuances without electronic augmentation. No reissues or digital remasters of this specific recording have been officially cataloged as of the latest available documentation.

The track’s duration falls within the typical 8–12 minute range for a concert-style kriti rendering, though exact timing varies by pressing. Subramaniam’s performance adheres to the structural conventions of alpana (improvisatory prelude), neraval (melodic elaboration), and kalpana swaram (improvised note patterns). The absence of detailed session credits or track-specific annotations in the original release limits further attribution of contributing artists or lyrical content.