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Indian Classical

Ragas, talas, and the breath of living traditions — Hindustani and Carnatic mastery pressed into vinyl.

Ravi Shankar performed at Woodstock in 1969 before 400,000 peopleM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the UN General Assembly (1966)A first pressing of Ravi Shankar's Three Ragas on World Pacific can fetch ₹40,000+Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort on Independence Day for over 50 yearsThe HMV India recording of Bhimsen Joshi's Raag Miyan Ki Malhar is considered a national treasureWe source original HMV, CBS and Odeon Indian classical pressings directly from Calcutta collectionsRavi Shankar performed at Woodstock in 1969 before 400,000 peopleM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the UN General Assembly (1966)A first pressing of Ravi Shankar's Three Ragas on World Pacific can fetch ₹40,000+Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort on Independence Day for over 50 yearsThe HMV India recording of Bhimsen Joshi's Raag Miyan Ki Malhar is considered a national treasureWe source original HMV, CBS and Odeon Indian classical pressings directly from Calcutta collections

Indian classical music is one of the oldest living musical traditions in the world, comprising two primary lineages — Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian). Both are built on the raga (melodic framework) and tala (rhythmic cycle), and both place improvisation at the heart of the performance. A raga performance is not merely music — it is a meditation, a conversation with the listener that unfolds in real time.

Calcutta Records holds one of India's largest collections of Indian classical vinyl. Recorded primarily in the 1950s–80s on HMV India, CBS, Odeon, and Saregama labels, these pressings capture the great masters in their prime — Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ustad Vilayat Khan. Many of these recordings are impossible to find on any streaming service. On vinyl, the microtonal detail and resonance of the sitar, sarod, bansuri and shehnai are preserved with an intimacy that digital cannot replicate.

Timeline

AncientVedic chants and the Natya Shastra — the roots of raga tradition

13th–18th c.Hindustani–Carnatic split; gharana system crystallises in the North

1890s–1940sFirst recordings — Gauhar Jan, Abdul Karim Khan on 78 rpm shellac

1950s–1960sHMV India golden era — great masters recorded on analogue tape

1960s–1970sWorld stage — Ravi Shankar at Woodstock, Ali Akbar on CBS

1980s–nowSaregama archives and late-career recordings; vinyl revival interest grows

Notable Artists

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

Our Indian Classical Collection

194 titles

Indian Classical

Notable Artists

Our Indian Classical Collection

Why Indian Classical on Vinyl?