Ustad Bismillah Khan - Shehnai

The recording centers on the shehnai, a double-reed wind instrument associated with North Indian ceremonial and classical music. Bismillah Khan's performances demonstrate how the instrument can carry long melodic lines and demanding Hindustani classical phrasing.

He is widely credited with elevating the shehnai from a mainly ceremonial instrument to a concert-stage classical instrument. He received India's Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honor, in 2001. [Government of India notification](https://origin1-padma.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/Notifications/BharatRatna/2001BR.pdf)

He performed at Delhi's Red Fort on the eve of Indian independence in 1947. That public association helped make his shehnai sound part of India's modern national cultural identity.

Not necessarily, because Shehnai has been used for different recordings, compilations, and reissues featuring Bismillah Khan. Check the specific edition's label, track list, and duration before treating a catalog entry as one definitive release.