Vilambit Ektaal (Part 2)

Touching Air (live at the Saptak Festival) is a live album by Indian violinist Kala Ramnath. The label Sense World Music released the recording on CD in 2002. The performance captures Ramnath’s interpretation of Hindustani classical music at the Saptak Festival, a prominent annual event in Ahmedabad, India.

The album includes a rendition of Vilambit Ektaal (Part 2) as its third track. The composition spans 5 minutes and 55 seconds. Ramnath employs the violin to explore the slow, expansive vilambit tempo within the 12-beat ektaal rhythmic cycle. The track exemplifies her approach to alaap-style development, emphasizing melodic elaboration and tonal nuance.

Kala Ramnath trained under the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and later integrated elements of the Mewati gharana into her playing. Her technique combines traditional phrasing with innovative bowing methods. The Saptak Festival performance reflects her reputation for dynamic stage presence and improvisational depth.

The album’s production credits and additional session musicians remain undocumented in available sources. Sense World Music specialized in world music and fusion releases during the early 2000s, though specific details about the recording process for Touching Air are not publicly verified.