Introduction to Indian Music Vol. 1

Introduction to Indian Music, Volume 1 is a guided tour of North Indian classical music in eighteen performances from the Aimrec catalogue. It brings together great names of the tradition: sitar maestros Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Shujaat Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan and Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee, and tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain. They’re joined by Hidayat Khan, Shakir Khan, Anjan Chattopadhyay and Pandit Manilal Nag, with Enayet Hossain and Samar Saha on tabla.

The selection moves through many of the most important ragas, including Yaman, Bihag, Desh, Durga, Kalawati, Bageshree and Jog, and closes with Bhairavi, the raga that traditionally ends a concert. Along the way it covers the main talas, from teental and ektal to jhaptal, rupak and deepchandi. Two lighter dhuns, Inner Bliss and By the River, complete the collection. It’s an ideal first album for new listeners and a sampler of the label’s artists for seasoned ones. Released in 2016 (AIMCDIM410).