Flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia was present when The Raga Guide was launched at a press conference in London on 7 April 1999, followed by a reception at the High Commission of India, Nehru Centre. On 10 August, it was released in the USA, and in October more than 10,000 copies had been sold.

This project began in 1984 when I was working with Dilip Chandra Vedi on the so-called raga sketches. My aim was to produce a concise, attractive and low-priced raga manual with recordings by prominent artists like flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, sarodist Buddhadev Dasgupta, and singers Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar and Vidyadhar Vyas. The idea was that such a manual would make the most common Hindustani ragas accessible to Indian music aficionados in the West.

Since each raga has a distinct form, embodying a unique musical idea and sound, the 74 ragas in the guide are presented with melodic outlines (chalan) which are the key to understanding them. In this series of ascending and descending phrases (in both Indian and Western notation) the essential melodic movements, features and motifs of a raga are portrayed.

Interestingly, my concise definition of a raga as a melodic or ‘tonal framework for composition and improvisation’ has been widely adopted (and plagiarized) by music writers, and more recently also by Google’s AI.

Inspired by The Raga Guide, Henri Tournier’s Hariprasad Chaurasia and the Art of Improvisation (with two CDs) was published by Accords-Croisés, Paris, in 2010.

Acclaim for The Raga Guide:
A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas

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‘Raga-gids van conservatorium … CD van de dag.’ Louis Du Moulin, Rotterdams Dagblad, 8 April 1999, p. 39.

‘Rotterdam timmert aan de weg met raga-gids …’ Hans Maas, Rotterdams Dagblad, 16 April 1999, p. 25.

‘Joep Bor … trekt wereldwijd de aandacht met … een standaardwerk over klassieke Indiase muziek.’ Hans Maas, PZC, 23 April 1999, p. 13.

‘All the raga … Chaurasia plays on the The Raga Guide … which established itself, on the day of its issue, as an essential new tool.’ Dermot Clinch, New Statesman, 3 May 1999, pp. 46-47.

‘As a listener who has enjoyed Hindustani music for decades … The Raga Guide is a boon … the pointers it offers are invaluable to an enriched appreciation of Indian music.’ David Toop, The Wire 183, May 1999, p. 54.

‘The Raga Guide makes a dynamic concept highly accessible in ways that have never been done before … [It] is one of the year’s best in the Indian firmament.’ Ken Hunt, fROOTS 192, June 1999, pp. 47-49.

‘De musici tonen in de uitnemende beknopte raga-uitvoeringen een imponerend, soms zelfs verbluffend vermogen tot samenvatting …’ Wouter Swets, Luister, June 1999, pp. 46-47.

‘Never lose your ragas again …’ Ken Hunt, Classic CD, June 1999, p. 57.

‘Het zoet van suiker, stroop en kandij … Dat ik nog niet geëmigreerd ben, is puur aan Joep Bor te danken …’ Marjolein van Rotterdam, Concert Radio, June 1999, p. 5.

‘Indiase raga’s voor westerse oren … Concessieloos, maar bij uitstek geschikt voor westerse oren.’ Wim van der Zwan, Klassieke Zaken 3, June 1999, p. 43.

‘Ragaguiden kan være et nyttigt redskab for folk med et solidt kendskab til denne musikform og musikforskere i al almindelighed.’ Annemette P. Karpen, Djembe 29, July 1999 (see: djembe.dk).

‘The guide’s combination of performance-based and printed information is unsurpassed in the literature of raga. Let’s override convention: an honorary six-star album.’ Ken Hunt, Classic CD, July 1999, p. 77.

‘Nimbus’s authoritative survey of 74 of the most often performed north Indian ragas … includes legendary flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.’ BBC Music Magazine, July 1999.

‘Nimbus has now produced an important book, The Raga Guide … It is an … enormously attractive production, to which has been brought a wealth of scholarship …’ Peter Grahame Woolf, Music on the Web, July 1999 (see: musicweb-international.com).

‘The performances are amazing, each and every one … It gets ridiculous after a while, the book is so good … The mind boggles.’ Richard Henderson, The Beat 18 (4), July/August 1999, pp. 66-67.

‘Lovingly recorded, carefully authored, this wonderful package is the essence of perfection … A sublime tribute to Indian classical music.’ Karen Karleski, Amazon.com, 10 August 1999.

‘The all-digital recordings sparkle with clarity, and the accompanying text is just as illuminating. Essential for the scholar and fan.’ Spotlight Review, Billboard.com, 14 August 1999.

‘How I would have cherished a publication such as The Raga Guide …’ Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post, 15 August 1999, p. 4.

‘Let’s get ready to raga …’ Susie Ochs, Rolling Stone 819, 19 August 1999.

‘There is no point fancying it up, The Raga Guide is a magnificent achievement, a benchmark.’ Ken Hunt, Pulse, August 1999, p. 46.

‘This set is an outstanding resource for anyone interested in the classical music of India …’ CD Hotlist: New Releases for Libraries, August 1999.

‘Raga riches … The Raga Guide does what no other raga manual has done before … It would be hard to over-praise its achievement.’ Ken Hunt, fROOTS 194/195, August/September 1999, pp. 21-22.

‘As a quick, easy and reliable reference work on the main ragas of Hindustani music, The Raga Guide is a godsend.’ Neil Sorrell, Songlines 2, Summer 1999, p. 78.

‘CD van de maand … De recentelijk verschenen Raga Guide … is een welkom geschenk voor alle liefhebbers van Indiase klassieke muziek.’ C.B., Wereldmuziek Update 7 (28), Summer 1999.

‘Raga roundup … And now there’s a quick way to gain that awareness: The Raga Guide … It’s an absolutely invaluable companion …’ Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times, 3 September 1999, p. 22.

‘Gurus may rest assured that despite the usefulness of this welcome guide, they remain indispensable.’ Richard Widdess, Times Higher Education, 10 September 2009.

‘The recently released Raga Guide … is a landmark and well worth pursuing for someone interested in learning the rudiments of ragas …’ Todd M. McComb, Medieval.org, 11 September 1999 (also see: SouthAsianMedia.net, 1999).

‘Master of raga … Joep Bor legt verdwijnende kennis over Hindoestaanse muziek vast …’ Berthold van Maris, NRC Handelsblad, 18 September 1999, p. 47.

‘This set is a beautiful thing to have and hold, an ultimate reference guide that reflects the decade of work that went into it …’ Bob Tarte, Miami New Times, 23 September 1999.

‘The zig is up … They come up with a scrupulously produced volume of back-up …’ Robert Maycock, BBC Music Magazine, September 1999.

‘[In] actuality no matter how much or little one knows about Hindustani music, these ragas are a joy to hear.’ Bob Tarte, The Beat 18 (5/6), September/October 1999, pp. 22-23 (also see: technobeat.com).

‘Livre et CD viennent apporter un complément d’informations indispensables pour tout amateur.’ Etienne Bours, Répertoire 128, 4 October 1999, p. 31.

‘The Raga Guide … [achieves] its goal of stimulating the listener by coloring the mind … and bringing delight.’ Michael Hopkins, The Scene Online, 4 October 1999.

‘Raga saga … Instead of vague, blissed out commentary … this 15-year project gives scholars and amateurs alike the essence of each raga …’ Tom Laskin, Isthmus: The Daily Page.com, 14 October 1999.

‘Raga als avondzon … The Raga Guide, samengesteld door Joep Bor, is een unieke publicatie …’ Peter van Amstel, de Volkskrant, 14 October 1999, p. 31.

‘DasGupta is one of the Indian master musicians [on] The Raga Guide [which] sheds light on the history and art of 74 of most the most popular Hindustani ragas.’ Bob Young, Boston Herald, 15 October 1999, p. S24.

‘Mit einem Wort: rundum eine Meisterleistung.’ Jan Reichow, WDR 3 Hörproben, 15 October 1999.

‘Either as a casual introduction … or as a crucial text for a lifetime’s worth of study, The Raga Guide is an indispensable work …’ John Swenson, GupShup Forums.webarchive, 27 October 1999.

‘It is reported that over 10,000 copies of this have been sold.’ Peter Grahame Woolf, Music on the Web, October 1999 (see: musicweb.uk.net).

‘From Nimbus comes The Raga Guide … which offers an extraordinarily detailed analysis of 74 different Hindustani ragas.’ Michael Church, The Independent, 27 November 1999.

‘Les Indes savantes … Pour aider l’auditeur à se diriger dans ce système très complexe, Joep Bor … nous livre un très important travail.’ Henri Lecomte, Diapason, November 1999, p. 146.

‘Westerners who think Indian music begins and ends with Ravi Shankar should check out this four-CD survey …’ Keith Goetzman, Utne Reader 96, November/December 1999, p. 116.

‘The Raga Guide … is as good a road map as we’re likely to get.’ Jeff Salamon, Austin American-Statesman, 20 December 1999, p. E1.

‘For those interested in dipping a toe in this joyous musical river, this four-disc survey of the art of the raga is a great place to start.’ Bill Smith, Willamette Week, 22 December 1999.

‘It’s a hell of an impressive package … The Rotterdam team has offered us a labor of love … All of us will want to own The Raga Guide.’ Warren Senders, RootsWorld.com, December 1999.

‘The Nimbus book, however, has these melodic outlines for all 74 ragas—and even better—four accompanying CDs with short performances of each raga by a major classical artist.’ Teed Rockwell, IndiaCurrents.com, December 1999.

‘This unique four-CD set is a primer in the artistry of Indian classical music, a perfect introduction for the novice.’ Mark Schwartz, Barnes & Noble, 1999 (see: barnes & noble.webarchive).

‘In short, The Raga Guide is an excellent resource for both dabblers and devotees of Hindustani music.’ John Vallier, All Music Guide.com, 1999.

‘Best of CDs! … Obviously pulled together carefully and with great love, this is a wonderful exploration of this complex, ancient, and deeply spiritual music.’ Carissa Herold, SOAK.com, 1999.

‘This four-CD package, superbly recorded and lovingly explained in a companion book, is perfect for those intrigued by the entrancing classical music of India.’ Karen K. Huggs, Angelfire.com, 1999.

‘It’s a wonderful gift idea for the serious musicians on your list.’ Bob Powers, G21: The World’s Magazine, 1999 (see: g21.net).

‘If you’re trying to understand the classical music of northern India … this set is indispensible … and thoroughly enjoyable.’ Paul Neely, EthnoDoxology (sample issue), 1999, p. 15 (see: ethnodoxology.org).

‘HK’s 10 best CDs of 1999 … While it’s a little deep swimming for the uninitiated, this package … is the only [one] available that serves this purpose and it’s long overdue.’ Henry Kaiser, East Bay Express, 1999 (see: ebe1999.hmtl).

‘Readers who have wished for such an introduction may find this one so good that it’s humbling …’ Duck Baker, Dirty Linen 85, December 1999/January 2000, p. 93.

‘Derk’s best international music, ’99 … The Raga Guide is an unprecedented anthology of four CDs [and a] book chock full of musical history, analysis and illustrations’ Derk Richardson, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 January 2000. (see: sfgate.com).

‘The raga’s ultimate reference … India’s raga is on a roll, and musicians, musicologists and connoisseurs all have reason to celebrate.’ Hinduism Today, 31 January 2000, p. 48.

‘Rescuing raga … Bor does what the musicians would rather not do: He analyzes ragas and gives their basic melodic structures.’ Berthold van Maris, World Press Review, January 2000, p. 35.

‘I applauded the core of that enterprise, a four minute version of the raga Alhaiya bilaval, fully transcribed in its entirety …’ Peter Grahame Woolf, Music on the Web, January 2000 (see: musicweb.uk.net).

‘The set isn’t an Indian Music for Dummies … But with patience, a new world of appreciation begins to open up.’ New Age, January/February 2000, p. 92.

‘Well, now I know a little more, thanks to this impressive book.’ Gary Whitehouse, Folk-Tales.com, 27 February 2000 (see: greenmanreview.com).

‘To that end, proceed to the fascinating and valuable new package … that serves an educational end, while also soothing the ear and mind.’ Josef Woodard, Jazz Times 30 (1), February 2000, p. 91.

‘The primer … Released this year, this is a kind of Michelin guide to the 74 most performed Hindustani ragas … A superior reference work …’ Richard Henderson, The Wire 192, February 2000, p. 34.

‘This four-CD set (plus nearly 200-page book) provides as thorough a study of Hindustani ragas as any scholar or fan could hope for.’ Aaron Cohen, Down Beat 67 (2), February 2000, p. 74.

‘But now an unprecedented anthology … goes a long way toward unravelling the mysteries and decoding the language of this musical form.’ Derk Richardson, Yoga Journal, March/April 2000, pp. 165-167.

‘For anyone who adores Indian raga but, like myself, has little knowledge of the subject, this bargain four-disc set … is like a veritable gift from the gods.’ Paul de Barros, Seattle Times, 6 April 2000.

‘Best of Indian music: The Raga Guide may have been 15 years in the making, but was well worth the wait.’ Ken Hunt, Classic CD: Awards 2000 Revealed!, April 2000, pp. 7, 16.

‘Das Gemeinsame entdecken … Auf nur vier CDs wird eine Materialfülle ausgebreitet, die in dieser Anschaulichkeit keinen Vorgänger hat.’ Felix Janosa, Neue Musikzeitung 49 (4), April 2000, p. 26.

‘By far our best selling title so far this year …’ Allegro Music Newsletter, April 2000 (see: allegro-music.com).

‘It is a fitting testament to … a musical tradition in which study and pleasure are inseparably and wonderfully entwined with one another.’ Steven Curtis, The South Asia Newsletter, Spring 2000, p. 6.

‘Die Besondere CD … Abgerundet wird dieses großartige Standardwerk durch 40 wunderschöne farbige Illustrationen … und einem ausgesprochen informativen Glossar …’ Walter Bast, Folker, May 2000 (see: folker.de/200005).

‘The Raga Guide, then, is a most valuable introduction to a very ancient but very much living music.’ Jim Bessman, Masala Magazine, 2 June 2000.

‘[But] all the ragas are described, with music examples to hear and rehear, in The Raga Guide, which has properly been described as a godsend …’ Peter Grahame Woolf, Music on the Web, July 2000 (see: musicweb.uk.net).

‘[At] the Rotterdam Conservatory, [Vidyadhar Vyas] was one of the guiding lights behind their recent Raga Guide project.’ Anthony Peter Westbrook, Hinduism Today, September/October 2000.

‘Un ouvrage d’un haut niveau académique, qui devrait rejoindre les rayons des discothèques de tous les conservatoires et écoles de musique.’ Henri Lecomte, Diapason: Diapason d’or de l’année 2000, October 2000, p. xiv.

‘Westliche Folklore-, Jazz-, Pop-, ja sogar Klassik-Liefhaber haben lange auf eine Anthologie wie diese gewartet …’ Bernhard Streerath, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik: Jahrespreise 2000, October 2000.

‘At once concise, accurate, attractive and accessible, The Raga Guide is undoubtedly a fine tribute.’ Alison Arnold, EOL 6, 21 November 2000.

‘This stunning volume is a most welcome addition to modern Indic musicology.’ Ted Solís, The World of Music 42 (1), 2000, pp. ?

‘Avec cette série … il faut saluer un événement discographique qui fera date pour longtemps chez les amateurs de musique hindoustanie.’ Philippe Bruguière, Cahiers de Musiques Traditionnelles 13, 2000, pp. 254-256.

‘For a thorough guide to over seventy-four Hindustani ragas invest in Nimbus’s invaluable Raga Guide.’ Ken Hunt, World Music: The Rough Guide, vol. 2, 2000, pp. 66.

‘En extraits forcément trop brefs, ce formidable outil pédagogique … donne … la couleur (histoire, contexte, philosophie) de 74 raga de l’Inde du Nord …’ Télérama, 2000.

‘The performances are marvellous and the varied instrumentation keeps what is really a serious, scholarly collection from sounding sterile.’ Tony Gualtieri, Classical Music Review: New Releases, 2000 (see: classical-music-review.org).

‘Now, you can research this for yourself, in what I consider an essential volume for every music student.’ Michael Riversong, Music Review Project, January 2001 (see: home.earthlink.net).

‘Bor’s Guide … exhibits as well another quality … a relevance and attractiveness to people of widely varying levels of experience with its material.’ Steven Curtis, Asian Music, Spring/Summer 2001, pp. 187-90.

‘However, in The Raga Guide, editor Joep Bor and his collaborating co-authors have produced a genuinely unique and remarkable opus …’ Peter Manuel, Ethnomusicology 45 (3), Fall 2001, pp. 527-528.

‘Buddhadev DasGupta … is featured in an important book, The Raga Guide … the best aid I know towards understanding this music.’ Peter Grahame Woolf, Music on the Web, 28 July 2002 (see: musicweb.uk.net).

‘Ned Evett: “I love Indian music. I have an incredible 4-CD set from Nimbus Records called The Raga Guide.”’ Dave Dalka, MusicFrisk.com, 12 August 2002.

‘What Ned Evett is listening to these days … The Raga Guide … “It comes with a book with the notes all sketched out, which is great for a musician.”’ Anna Webb, The Idaho Statesman, 13 January 2003, p. 23.

‘A scholar as well as a musician, he [Buddhadev Das Gupta] recently contributed to Nimbus Records’ four-CD Raga Guide.’ The Gazette, 25 March 2003, p. 2 (also see: University of Iowa News Release, 13 March 2003).

‘A strong character … extensive performances, lecture-demonstrations, quality recordings, educative projects like The Raga Guide … make him [Buddhadev Das Gupta] a musician’s musician.’ Sarvamangala C.S., The Hindu, 24 February 2006.

‘I just acquired a book entitled The Raga Guide by Joep Bor that has all kinds of scales and ideas. Fascinating! … I am having a lot of fun with it. Ed Byrne, All about jazz, 18 November 2007 (see: forums.allaboutjazz.com).

‘For further study of raga, a good next step is The Raga Guide … which is basically a raga fake book complete with CDs featuring performance examples.’ World Rhythms 10, Winter 2007 (see: ancient-future.com).

‘The Raga Guide … provides a well-written introduction to some of the more commonly used ragas, accompanied by specially recorded, high quality short expositions … of each raga …’ Geoff Butts, In-Between: Music.webarchive, 9 June 2008.

‘The Raga Guide … includes a large textbook edited by Joep Bor (of the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music) with western-style transcriptions and raga information.’ Wikipedia.org, 3 September 2008 (also see: reference.com).

‘“There is a raga for each season and time and there is a shade that can describe it,” says the 78-year old [James McGarrell], leafing through Joep Bor’s The Raga Guide …’ Vandana Karla, Expressindia.com, 18 November 2008.

‘A superb resource for any student of Indian classical music.’ Sitar.co.za, 2008.

‘It has a great little book that explains the ragas with English translations where appropriate and colour pictures showing the stories of the ragas.’ Gurukul.org, n.d.

‘For those wanting a deeper look into raga form, look for the excellent four-CD set and accompanying book issued by Britain’s Nimbus label called The Raga Guide …’ Anastasia Tsioulcas, World Music: Hindustani Classical, National Geographic.webarchive, n.d.

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