Raga-Shankara

"Raga-Shankara" is an instrumental track performed by Vilayat Khan. The piece appears as the second track on side B of the album Sitar-Nawaz. Vilayat Khan recorded the performance in 1965. His Master’s Voice released the album in the same year. The format is a 12-inch vinyl record.

Vilayat Khan plays the sitar on "Raga-Shankara." The composition follows the structure of the Shankara raga, a morning raga in Hindustani classical music. The track showcases Khan’s signature style, known as the Imdadkhani gharana, characterized by intricate meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) techniques. The performance includes alap, jor, and jhala sections, typical of a traditional sitar recital.

The album Sitar-Nawaz features Vilayat Khan as the sole artist. His Master’s Voice, a subsidiary of EMI Group, distributed the release. The label marketed the album primarily in India and the United Kingdom. The recording captures Khan’s improvisational prowess and mastery of raga exposition. Specific details about the recording session, such as location or accompanying musicians, remain undocumented.