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Indian Classical

Ragas that bend time, talas that structure eternity — the ancient living tradition pressed into wax.

Ravi Shankar recorded over 60 albums and performed at Woodstock, Monterey, and the Concert for BangladeshM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the United Nations General Assembly (1966)HMV India pressed Indian classical vinyl from 1907 — some of the earliest studio recordings in the worldA raga has time associations — some should only be played at dawn, others at midnightThe Carnatic system uses 72 parent scales (melakartas) compared to Western music's 12Calcutta Records has one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical LPsRavi Shankar recorded over 60 albums and performed at Woodstock, Monterey, and the Concert for BangladeshM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the United Nations General Assembly (1966)HMV India pressed Indian classical vinyl from 1907 — some of the earliest studio recordings in the worldA raga has time associations — some should only be played at dawn, others at midnightThe Carnatic system uses 72 parent scales (melakartas) compared to Western music's 12Calcutta Records has one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical LPs

Indian classical music represents one of humanity's oldest continuously evolving musical traditions. Divided into two major streams — Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) — it is a living oral tradition passed from guru to shishya across generations. A raga is not a scale but a personality — a set of melodic rules, ornaments, and emotional associations that govern improvisation within vast temporal and tonal space.

The golden age of Indian classical music recordings spans the late 1950s through the 1980s, when HMV, Gramophone Company of India, and CBS pressed the performances of living legends onto vinyl. Ravi Shankar's sitar meditations, Ali Akbar Khan's sarod conversations, M.S. Subbulakshmi's Carnatic devotional recordings — these LPs are now irreplaceable cultural and sonic artifacts. Calcutta Records maintains one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical vinyl.

Timeline

AncientVedic chants — sam, gandhar, and the seven swaras codified

MedievalHindustani and Carnatic streams diverge — Mughal court patronage

1900s–30sFirst 78rpm recordings — HMV captures legendary court musicians

1950s–70sGolden LP era — Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan record masterpieces

1960sRavi Shankar meets George Harrison — Indian classical reaches the West

1980s+Fusion and contemporary masters — Zakir Hussain bridges traditions

Notable Artists

Ravi Shankar Ali Akbar Khan Bismillah Khan Vilayat Khan M.S. Subbulakshmi Bhimsen Joshi Hariprasad Chaurasia Zakir Hussain Amjad Ali Khan Ananda Shankar

Our Indian Classical Collection

188 titles

Indian Classical

Notable Artists

Our Indian Classical Collection

Why Indian Classical on Vinyl?