Raga Salag Varali Todi: Aaj Badhai Baaje (Vilambit - Ek Taal)/Sumir Sahib Sultan (Drut Teen - Taal)

Parween Sultana released a self-titled studio album in 1971 under the His Master’s Voice label. The album appeared on a 12\" vinyl format. The record features a single extended track titled Raga Salag Varali Todi: Aaj Badhai Baaje (Vilambit - Ek Taal) / Sumir Sahib Sultan (Drut Teen Taal), spanning 17 minutes and 58 seconds. The composition opens with a vilambit (slow-tempo) exposition in Ek Taal, followed by a drut (fast-tempo) section set to Teen Taal.

The album marks one of Parween Sultana’s early commercial recordings in the Hindustani classical tradition. The track showcases her interpretation of Raga Salag Varali Todi, a rare variant blending elements of Todi and Varali thaat. The first segment, Aaj Badhai Baaje, emphasizes alaap and jor with sparse tanpura and tabla accompaniment. The second segment, Sumir Sahib Sultan, introduces a rhythmic khayal structure with intricate taan patterns and bol-baant improvisations. Tabla support adheres to the Benares gharana style, though the accompanying artists remain undocumented in available sources.

The 1971 release context aligns with Sultana’s rising prominence in the Patiala-Kasur gharana, though specific recording sessions or production details are not publicly archived. The vinyl’s distribution scope and commercial reception are similarly unrecorded. Later reissues or digital remasters of this track, if any, lack verified documentation. The original pressing remains a reference for Sultana’s formative vocal technique and her engagement with less-common raga fusions.