Raga Vibhas (E Nara Hara Narayan, vilambit in rupak tala; Mora Re, drut teentala)

Raga Vibhas refers to a 1970s live recording by Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar, featuring two compositions in Raga Vibhas: E Nara Hara Narayan in vilambit (slow tempo) rupak tala (7 beats) and Mora Re in drut (fast tempo) teentala (16 beats). The performance spans 55 minutes and 51 seconds. Amonkar’s interpretation emphasizes the raga’s shuddha dhaivat (pure sixth) and komal nishad (flattened seventh), characteristic of the Bhairav thaat framework with Vibhas-specific phrasing.

Amonkar performed the recording in a concert setting, though the exact venue and release date remain undocumented in widely accessible sources. The format appears as a live audio capture, later circulated among private collections and archival releases. No commercial label claim is verified, but the recording aligns with her mid-to-late 20th-century concert phase, where she refined Vibhas as a signature raga. The vilambit section opens with an alaap (unmetered improvisation) transitioning into the composed bandish E Nara Hara Narayan, while the drut segment introduces Mora Re with intricate taans (melodic runs) and bol-banao (syllabic improvisation).

The recording exemplifies Amonkar’s approach to raga vad (raga expansion), balancing traditional gayaki (vocal style) with spontaneous embellishments. Accompaniment details—such as the tabla or tanpura artists—are not confirmed in available references. The tracklist remains limited to the two stated compositions, with no additional pieces or interludes documented. Collectors and scholars often cite this performance for its exploration of Vibhas’s emotional depth, particularly in the madhyama-centric passages of the drut section.

As of the latest accessible archives, no official album artwork, liner notes, or producer credits accompany the recording. The work circulates primarily through informal channels, with digital restorations emerging in the 2010s. Amonkar’s rendition of Raga Vibhas in this recording is distinguished by her use of meend (glissando) between ga and ma, a technique she adapted from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana while retaining her individualistic phrasing. The absence of a formal release date or label attribution limits precise cataloging, but the performance is frequently referenced in discussions of her discography.