Thumri Bhairavi

Jagdish Prasad performed the thumri Thumri Bhairavi as the third track on his 2011 album Shraddhanjali: Jagdish Prasad. The composition spans 8 minutes and 47 seconds and adheres to the Bhairavi raga, a prominent framework in Hindustani classical music. Saregama released the album in CD format under its classical music catalog.

The album serves as a posthumous tribute to Jagdish Prasad, though the exact recording dates remain undocumented. The thumri exemplifies the semi-classical genre, blending lyrical poetry with improvisational melodic phrasing. Prasad’s rendition emphasizes the emotive and devotional qualities associated with Bhairavi, a raga traditionally linked to early morning performances and themes of longing or reverence.

Saregama packaged Shraddhanjali: Jagdish Prasad as part of its efforts to preserve and disseminate recordings by lesser-documented artists of the 20th century. The label provided minimal supplementary notes in the physical release, focusing instead on the audio content. No alternate versions or live recordings of this specific thumri appear in publicly available archives. The track’s structure follows conventional thumri conventions, including sthayi (opening verse) and antara (subsequent verses), though detailed lyrical or notational analysis is not included in the original liner notes.

The 2011 release coincided with a broader revival of interest in archival Hindustani vocal music, particularly thumri and dadra compositions. Prasad’s interpretation aligns with the Banaras gharana style, characterized by intricate taan patterns and a focus on bhava (emotional expression). The accompanying instrumentation, if any, is not specified in the release metadata. Saregama’s production retains the acoustic fidelity of the original recordings, though mastering details are not disclosed.

Critical reception of the album is sparsely documented, with the work primarily circulating among connoisseurs of vintage Hindustani vocal music. The track Thumri Bhairavi stands as one of the longer compositions on the album, allowing for extended alap-like passages within the thumri framework. No commercial singles or digital exclusives were derived from this release.