Reddit mentions: The best indian & pakistani music

Disclaimer: Long answer, and quite subjective - I have no formal training of any sort (hindustani or western), I play guitar/flute/piano by ear and try to listen to most forms of music actively, and have consequently picked up a smattering of knowledge that is barely structured. If you want to really get into this, I recommend searching for a guru(teacher) - when it comes to Hindustani Classical, there's no real replacement.

1. Jhala:
   For a better idea of what the chikari strings do during a jhala, try this performance, pt.1 & pt 2 by Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra (the jhala starts being apparent in the second half of pt 1 I think). The raag is Bihag. For the technique itself in the context of a sitar, see this.
   
   
2. Raagas:
   For a quickfire introduction to ragas, I'd recommend this 4 CD pack which comes with a surface level explanation for each of the 74 ragas - the basic notes that make up the raga, the time at which it is to be played/listened to and so on. Another thing I've done over the years is listened to more of Dhrupad as opposed to Khayal (which is what has been more popular over the years) - Dhrupad is stricter in terms of musical grammar, and consequently makes ragas easier to identify. As an added bonus the development of ragas is much slower, and it's a good introduction to microtonal variations in hindustani classical. In the same vein, listening to thumris (semiclassical in a sense) will help you relate ragas to their place in popular music.
   
   
3. Basic Theory:
   Finally, this playlist of short lessons aimed at introducing the untrained listener to the basic theory/philosophy of Indian music is great - it starts off with the assumption that you have zero knowledge of Hindustani Classical (or any music) and provides good insight into the workings and vocabulary of the music. Ideally start with this before you listen to the 4CD pack - it'll make much more sense that way.

For Tantric sex , we really love Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Kate Bush, The Sensual World. Progressive rock really fits the bill well, as it can be low key and very musical.

If you want something closer to yoga oriented, and prefer more upbeat, anything by MC Yogi could be good. I really like Elephant Power. If more hypnotic is your thing, Krisna Das, Pilgrim Heart is absolutely beautiful and extraordinarily moving.

| | |
|-:|:-|
|name|Advaita|
|about artist|‘A’- non, ‘dvaita’ – dual, Advaita means experiencing all as “One”. To the uninitiated, Advaita is an eclectic fusion band based in New Delhi, India. It is the expression of eight distinct musical sensibilities that dissolve into each other to bring forth a truly unique and ingenious sound.The “Advaita Experience” is defined by the pursuit of that incredible moment during performance when the musician becomes the music and forgets his own identity, resulting in thoroughly electrifying stage performances. (more on last.fm)|
|album|The Silent Sea, released Feb 2012|
|track|Words|
|images|album image, artist image|
|links|track on amazon, CD on amazon|
|tags|indianrock, indian, fusionrock, psychedelic, rock|
|similar|Avial, Slow Down Clown, Indus Creed, Shankar Tucker, Menwhopause|
|metrics|lastfm listeners: 1,832, lastfm plays: 39,359, youtube plays: 2,945, radd.it score: 16|


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Raga Guide is worth a gander.

A boss of mine got me the Shakti Silk Box for Christmas a couple of years ago, was of the coolest people I've worked for, he was a guitarist. We had a radio in the kitchen (with studio monitors that could overpower the bar from in the kitchen) and chef asked me to throw something in during my first week, so I pulled out my Friday Night in San Francisco CD, everyone asked for copies and the owner heard it and I guess he remembered I liked JM for Christmas.

EDIT: I'm a trap drummer/percussionist and I bought a set of tabla because of Zakir Hussain, now I am disappoint, haha.

I listen to an album called Morning Mantras to Start Your Day With by Sadhna Sargam:

http://www.amazon.com/Morning-Mantras-Start-Your-With/dp/B000VA22XM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335282735&sr=8-2

I'm trying to figure out if there's something equivalent for the night.