Customer Reviews

Raga Darbari

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This CD shows some of the greatest Indian Classical music I have ever listened to! It is highly expressive, and captures the subtle touches and nuances that the sitar and surbahar are capable of. It is the best recording of the Surbahar that I have listened to. It showcases the Vistar Alap, a movement in which the ascending and descending scales of the raga are explored note by note, a technique which is virtually nonexistant today. It is a wonderful peice of music if you want hard Indian Classical!

The surbahar is essentially a bass sitar. It is the perfect instrument to play a majestic and powerful rag like darbari. Few people have mastered this rare and powerful instrument, however ustad imrat khan is often acknowledged as being its greatest exponent. The deep powerful resonant quality of imrat's play is captivating. If you've never heard the surbahar, but enjoy the deep meditative quality of the sitar, you'll surely love imrat's surbahar.

I would refer this cd to anyone who wanted to be introduced to Rag Darbari, except that is might spoil other beautiful versions for you. Imrat Khan is the master of the deep sounding Surbahar. For anyone who does not know this instrument, what better way to start. For anyone who does not know Imrat Khan, this is him at his best. For those who alread know Rag Darbari, here is a chance to learn it anew.

Imrat Khan and his brother Vilayet have a different style of sitar playing than many other Hindustani musicians such as Ravi Shankar.

The surbahar, as another reviewer noted, is a bass sitar. On a rag like Darbari, it gives the music an extra depth without overly weighting it down.

I appreciate Nimbus Records once more. I have listened to many performances of Darbari by various artists, of those Amjad Ali Khan (both Navras version and an earlier India 1979 version), Bhimsen Joshi (both solo and jugalbandi with Dr.B.Krishna), Jitendra Abhisheki, Zarin Daruwala (yes, a private recording, do not look for it in the shops), Manilal Nag, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Nazakat&Salamat Ali Khan, Gopal Shankar Misra. However, this one is my favorite. From the first notes till the climax at the end, Imrat Khan's surbahar spins your soul into the depth of the ocean of Music.