"This is one of the finer, more elegant CD's of straight-ahead Indian classical music to come through these pages in a good while.  
- CMJ Review, U.S.A.

"This CD is a fitting celebration of India's 50 years of Independence. Shubhendra Rao.....presents the morning raga Lalit and evening raga Maru Bihag, with great verve and wizardry. Rao's inimitable style exemplifies the renowned Maihar-Senia gharana"  
- India Today, October 13, 1997

Track 1 - Raga Lalit                                          35.12 minutes

Alap, Jod, Jhala and Gat in Roopak Tala

A traditional early morning Raga. The mood of this beautiful raga is of peace and tranquility. It uses both the Madhyams (fourth note) and omits the Pancham (fifth note) both in the ascending and descending.

Track 2 - Raga Maru Bihag                                28.34 minutes

Short Alap, Vilambit and Drut Teen Tala

A popular evening Raga. The basic mood of this raga is of joy and playfulness.

CD Dedication:
"To my parents for all their love and support and my guru to whom I owe everything"

The recordings of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan together are perhaps the most well known duets in the history of Indian classical music.

Both the maestros studied at the same time under the same teacher, Baba Allauddin Khan Saheb, and grew musically together. The bold sound of Sarod and the pleasing sound of Sitar, the genius of each artist and the perfect understanding of each other's music have made their duets legendary. In keeping with this tradition, two artists of the new generation, Partho Sarathy and Shubhendra Rao, who also studied and lived together at the same time under the same teacher, Pandit Ravi Shankar, come together in A Journey Together.

Track 1 - Raga Patdeep 32.06 minutes
A traditional late afternoon raga. The mood of this raga is of tenderness, serenity and dignity. The main notes are - Pa (vadi) and Sa (samvadi). The raga is slowly unfolded on the sitar and sarod with a traditional alap, jod and jhala, followed by a gat in Jhaptaal (a rhythmic cycle of 10 beats divided 2+3+2+3).

Track 2 - Raga Charukesi 29.28 minutes
A raga from the south Indian style of music, it has been adapted and popularized in the north Indian style by Pandit Ravi Shankar. The mood of this beautiful raga is of sadness touched with a ray of hope. The raga is introduced with a short alap, followed by slow and fast gats in teen tala (a rhythmic cycle of 16 beats divided into 4+4+4+4).