Zila-Kafi (ragamala): Teen-tal vilambit (lent)

Zila-Kafi (Ragamala): Teen-tal Vilambit (Lent) is a 19-minute and 59-second instrumental composition performed in the vilambit (slow) tempo of teen-tal, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle in Hindustani classical music. The track appears as the fifth piece on the album Inde du Nord, released on February 1993 by the French label Ocora. The recording features a trio of artists: sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan, tabla player Shafaat Ahmed Khan, and tanpura accompanist Subhalakshmi Khan.

The composition explores Raga Zila-Kafi, a variant of the Kafi thaat characterized by its use of komal gandhar (flattened third) and komal nishad (flattened seventh). The performance adheres to the alaap-jor-jhala structure typical of instrumental renditions, with an extended alaap (unmetered introduction) transitioning into the rhythmic jor and jhala sections. The recording captures the interplay between the sarod’s melodic elaboration and the tabla’s percussive responses, while the tanpura provides a continuous drone.

The album Inde du Nord compiles field and studio recordings of North Indian classical music, curated for an international audience. Ocora, a subsidiary of Radio France, produced the release in CD format. The liner notes and track documentation provide minimal context beyond artist credits and raga identification. No additional details about the recording location, session date, or production personnel are publicly available.

Amjad Ali Khan’s interpretation of Zila-Kafi reflects his signature gayaki ang (vocal-style phrasing) on the sarod, a technique he developed under the guidance of his father, Haafiz Ali Khan, of the Senia-Bangash gharana. Shafaat Ahmed Khan’s tabla accompaniment employs traditional kaida and rela patterns to complement the raga’s lyrical development. The track serves as a representative example of 1990s Hindustani instrumental recordings distributed through European world music labels.