Raga: Todi

Raga Todi (Shenai & Violin) is a 20-minute instrumental performance recorded by Ustad Bismillah Khan on shehnai and V. G. Jog on violin. The track appears as Side A of the 1968 album Shenai & Violin, released by His Master’s Voice on a 12\" vinyl LP. The composition follows the Todi raga, a prominent raga in Hindustani classical music characterized by its intricate melodic structure and emotional depth.

The album captures a live or studio jugalbandi (duet) between Khan and Jog, though the exact recording location and session details remain undocumented. Khan’s shehnai playing demonstrates his signature control over breath and phrasing, while Jog’s violin accompaniment adheres to the Carnatic-Hindustani fusion style he pioneered. The track duration of 20 minutes and 8 seconds allows for an extended alap (improvisational introduction) followed by a structured development of the raga.

Shenai & Violin was issued under the His Master’s Voice label, a subsidiary of EMI in India, which frequently produced classical music recordings during the mid-20th century. The vinyl format limited the album to two sides, with this performance occupying the entirety of Side A. No additional production credits, liner notes, or alternate takes are publicly verified for this release. The track stands as a documented collaboration between two of India’s most celebrated instrumentalists of the era.

The recording period aligns with Khan’s established career in the 1960s, during which he performed extensively and recorded for major Indian labels. Jog, a violinist trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, contributed to numerous cross-genre projects. The album’s title reflects the instrumental pairing rather than a thematic or conceptual framework. No reissues or digital remasters of this specific recording are confirmed in available sources.