Raghuvamsa

Raghuvamsa is a Carnatic instrumental composition performed by saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath. The track appears as the third piece on the album Chidanandam, released in October 2009 under the Swathi label. The recording adopts a CD format and spans a duration of 11 minutes and 50 seconds.

The album Chidanandam showcases Gopalnath’s adaptation of the saxophone to Carnatic classical music, a tradition he pioneered in India. The track Raghuvamsa follows the raga-based improvisational structure characteristic of the genre, though specific raga or tala details remain undocumented in available sources. Gopalnath’s performance integrates melodic elaboration (alapana), rhythmic development (kalpana swara), and thematic variations aligned with classical conventions.

Kadri Gopalnath (1949–2019) established recognition for his technical mastery in transposing Carnatic idioms onto the saxophone, an instrument uncommon in South Indian classical music prior to his contributions. Chidanandam exemplifies his later work, emphasizing devotional and classical themes. The album’s production credits and accompanying artists, if any, are not explicitly listed in public records.

The label Swathi, based in Chennai, specializes in Carnatic music releases. The 2009 CD edition of Chidanandam includes a total of eight tracks, with Raghuvamsa positioned as a central composition in the sequence. No commercial streaming or digital reissue metadata is confirmed for this release as of the available documentation.