Sohini: Aochar

Raga Sohini: Aochar is a short instrumental composition performed by sitarist Kushal Das. The track appears as the fifth piece on the album Inde du Nord: Sitar, released on March 2000 under the French label Ocora. The recording adopts a CD format and features traditional North Indian classical music.

The track spans 1 minute and 9 seconds, presenting an aochar (introductory exposition) in Raga Sohini, a melodic framework associated with the late evening or early night raag tradition. Kushal Das executes the performance on sitar, adhering to the stylistic conventions of the Etawah baj or Vilayat khani baj schools, though the album does not specify the exact gharana affiliation. The recording captures the alaap-like phrasing characteristic of aochar, emphasizing the raga’s ascending and descending scales without rhythmic accompaniment.

Inde du Nord: Sitar compiles solo sitar performances, with Kushal Das as the primary artist. The album’s production aligns with Ocora’s focus on ethnomusicological documentation, though detailed session information—such as recording location, accompanying artists, or production personnel—remains undocumented in available sources. The tracklist includes other raga interpretations, but Raga Sohini: Aochar stands as the sole representation of this particular raga on the release.

The brevity of the track suggests an excerpt or a condensed demonstration rather than a full raga elaboration. Kushal Das’s rendition highlights the raga’s komal re (flattened second) and teevra ma (sharp fourth), foundational to Sohini’s melodic identity. No commercial singles or alternate versions of this specific recording have been verified.