Raga Shankara Bihag

Raga Shankara Bihag is a track from the 1990 album Romantic Sound of Sitar, performed by tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and sitarist Rais Khan. The composition appears as the second track on the release and spans a duration of 28 minutes and 28 seconds. The album was issued on compact disc under an unspecified label, with no additional production credits documented in available sources.

The performance showcases a collaborative exploration of Raga Shankara, a variant of the Bihag raga family characterized by its evening or late-night rendition in the Hindustani classical tradition. Rais Khan leads the melodic development on sitar, while Zakir Hussain provides rhythmic accompaniment on tabla. The track exemplifies the jugalbandi (duet) format, emphasizing improvisational interplay between the two artists.

The album Romantic Sound of Sitar positions itself within the broader discourse of 1990s Hindustani classical fusion, though specific details about its reception, additional tracks, or reissues remain undocumented in accessible archives. The recording captures a live or studio session—contextual evidence does not clarify which—with an emphasis on extended alaap-jor-jhala structures followed by composed and improvised sections.

Notable aspects of the track include Rais Khan’s use of the gayaki ang (vocal-style phrasing) on sitar and Zakir Hussain’s dynamic percussion patterns, which incorporate elements of the Benares and Punjab gharana tabla traditions. The absence of tanpura or harmonic support in the recording directs focus to the dialogue between the primary instruments. Further analytical or historical context for this specific performance is not widely published.