Raga: Yamani Bilawal

Yamani Bilawal is a rendition of the raga Yaman Bilawal performed by Hindustani classical vocalist Mallikarjun Mansur. The recording spans a duration of 23 minutes and 15 seconds. Mansur presents the raga in the khayal style, a dominant form of North Indian classical vocal music characterized by improvisation within a fixed melodic framework.

The performance adheres to the structural conventions of Yaman Bilawal, a thaat-based raga derived from the parent scale Bilawal with the addition of shuddha nishad (natural seventh). Mansur employs alaap, jor, and jhala in the initial exploratory phase, followed by composed bandish (fixed melodic composition) interspersed with taans (rapid melodic phrases) and bol-taans (syllabic improvisations). The recording captures the artist’s signature vocal technique, marked by controlled meend (glissando) and intricate gamak (ornamentation).

The release date and original label of this specific recording remain undocumented in widely accessible sources. The format appears to be a studio or live concert recording, though the exact context—whether part of an album, compilation, or standalone release—is unverified. Mansur frequently performed Yaman Bilawal in concerts, and this version exemplifies his interpretive approach to the raga during the latter half of the 20th century.

Notable aspects of the performance include the elaboration of the vadi (dominant note) ga (third) and samvadi (subdominant note) ni (seventh), aligned with the raga’s theoretical framework. The accompaniment details, such as the tabla or tanpura artists, are not specified in available references. The recording serves as a representative example of Mansur’s contribution to the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, a school known for its rigorous adherence to raga structure and emotive depth.