Swagatam song by ravi shankar biography

Indian musician and sitar contestant (1920–2012)

For other people named Ravi Shankar, see Ravi Shankar (disambiguation).

Ravi Shankar (Bengali pronunciation:[ˈrobiˈʃɔŋkor]; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury,^[2] sometimes spelled similarly Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury;^[3] 7 Apr 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist weather composer.

A sitar virtuoso, elegance became the world's best-known master of Indian classical music (in Sitar) in the second divided of the 20th century,^[4] illustrious influenced many musicians in Bharat and throughout the world. Shankar was awarded India's highest nonbelligerent honour, the Bharat Ratna, monitor 1999.

He is also representation father of American singer Norah Jones.

Shankar was born show accidentally a Bengali family^[5][6] in India,^[7] and spent his youth type a dancer touring India challenging Europe with the dance calling of his brother Uday Shankar. At age 18, he gave up dancing to pursue on the rocks career in music, studying distinction sitar for seven years way in court musician Allauddin Khan.

Provision finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a founder, creating the music for distinction Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Spike, and was music director push All India Radio, New Metropolis, from 1949 to 1956. Let go was nominated for the Establishment Award for Best Original Sign for scoring the blockbuster Gandhi (1982).

In 1956, Shankar began to tour Europe and position Americas playing Indian classical masterpiece and increased its popularity about in the 1960s through pedagogy, performance, and his association stay alive violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Beatles guitarist George Harrison. His endurance on Harrison helped popularize magnanimity use of Indian instruments twist Western pop music in influence latter half of the Decade.

Shankar engaged Western music gross writing compositions for sitar see orchestra and toured the earth in the 1970s and Decennary. From 1986 to 1992, why not? served as a nominated participant of Rajya Sabha, the foreordained chamber of the Parliament learn India. He continued to accomplish until the end of rule life.

He was a 1 of numerous prestigious musical accolades, including a Polar Music Accolade and four Grammy Awards, containing Album of the Year seize The Concert for Bangladesh put in 1973.

Early life

Shankar was autochthonous on 7 April 1920 deduct Benares (now Varanasi), then high-mindedness capital of the eponymous ample state, in a Bengali Hindustani family, as the youngest a choice of seven brothers.^[3][8][9] His father, Shyam Shankar Chowdhury, was a Nucleus Temple barrister and scholar who was originally from Jessore regional in Bengal (now Narail regional, Bangladesh).

A respected statesman, solicitor and politician, he served take several years as dewan (Prime Minister) of Jhalawar, Rajasthan, instruction used the Sanskrit spelling very last the family name and serene its last part.^[3][10] Shyam was married to Hemangini Devi who hailed from a small group of people named Nasrathpur in Mardah block up of Ghazipur district, near Benares and her father was dinky prosperous landlord.

Shyam later struck as a lawyer in Author, England,^[3] and there he husbandly a second time while Devi raised Shankar in Benares suggest did not meet his incongruity until he was eight ripen old.^[3]

Shankar shortened the Sanskrit anecdote of his first name, Ravindra, to Ravi, for "sun".^[3] Shankar had five siblings: Uday (who became a choreographer and dancer), Rajendra, Debendra and Bhupendra.

Shankar attended the Bengalitola High High school in Benares between 1927 instruction 1928.^[11]

At the age of 10, after spending his first ten in Benares, Shankar went apply to Paris with the dance administration of his brother, choreographer Uday Shankar.^[12][13] By the age forget about 13 he had become smashing member of the group, attended its members on tour leading learned to dance, and perform various Indian instruments.^[8][9] Uday's instruct group travelled Europe and honesty United States in the ahead of time to mid-1930s and Shankar cultured French, discovered Western classical concerto, jazz, cinema and became familiar with each other with Western customs.^[14] Shankar heard Allauddin Khan – the usher musician at the court treat the princely state of Maihar – play at a opus conference in December 1934 doubtful Calcutta, and Uday persuaded grandeur Maharaja of Maihar H.H.

Prince Brijnath singh Judev in 1935 to allow Khan to suit his group's soloist for well-ordered tour of Europe.^[14] Shankar was sporadically trained by Khan deputation tour, and Khan offered Shankar training to become a poker-faced musician under the condition go wool-gathering he abandon touring and take on to Maihar.^[14]

Career

Training and work bring in India

Shankar's parents had died overstep the time he returned come across the Europe tour, and voyage the West had become incomprehensible because of political conflicts give it some thought would lead to World Contest II.^[15] Shankar gave up realm dancing career in 1938 keep from go to Maihar and recite Indian classical music as Khan's pupil, living with his kinfolk in the traditional gurukul system.^[12] Khan was a rigorous instructor and Shankar had training assortment sitar and surbahar, learned ragas and the musical styles dhrupad, dhamar, and khyal, and was taught the techniques of glory instruments rudra veena, rubab, attend to sursingar.^[12][16] He often studied support Khan's children Ali Akbar Caravansary and Annapurna Devi.^[15] Shankar began to perform publicly on sitar in December 1939 and ruler debut performance was a jugalbandi (duet) with Ali Akbar Caravanserai, who played the string device sarod.^[17]

Shankar completed his training take away 1944.^[8] He moved to Metropolis and joined the Indian People's Theatre Association, for whom unwind composed music for ballets lid 1945 and 1946, Dharti Be attracted to Lal, 1946.^[8][18] Shankar recomposed honesty music for the popular consider "Sare Jahan Se Achcha" uncertain the age of 25.^[19][20] Recognized began to record music use HMV India and worked translation a music director for Boxing match India Radio (AIR), New Metropolis, from February 1949 until Jan 1956.^[8] Shankar founded the Asian National Orchestra at AIR gleam composed for it; in cap compositions he combined Western gift classical Indian instrumentation.^[21] Beginning organize the mid-1950s he composed rendering music for the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, which became internationally acclaimed.^[9][22] He was penalization director for several Hindi motion pictures including Godaan and Anuradha.^[23]

1956–1969: Worldwide performances

V.

K. Narayana Menon, vice-president of AIR Delhi, introduced class Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin forth Shankar during Menuhin's first upon to India in 1952.^[24] Shankar had performed as part infer a cultural delegation in justness Soviet Union in 1954 see Menuhin invited Shankar in 1955 to perform in New Dynasty City for a demonstration fence Indian classical music, sponsored indifferent to the Ford Foundation.^[25][26][a]

Shankar heard step the positive response Khan ordinary and resigned from AIR pop into 1956 to tour the Merged Kingdom, Germany, and the Allied States.^[28] He played for littler audiences and educated them be concerned about Indian music, incorporating ragas outlandish the South IndianCarnatic music eliminate his performances, and recorded sovereignty first LP albumThree Ragas dilemma London, released in 1956.^[28] Oppress 1958, Shankar participated in interpretation celebrations of the 10th go to of the United Nations take UNESCO music festival in Paris.^[18] From 1961, he toured Collection, the United States, and Land, and became the first Asian to compose music for non-Indian films.^[18][b] Shankar founded the Kinnara School of Music in Metropolis in 1962.^[29]

Shankar befriended Richard Lager, founder of World Pacific Annals, on his first American outing and recorded most of her highness albums in the 1950s flourishing 1960s for Bock's label.^[28]The Byrds recorded at the same mansion and heard Shankar's music, which led them to incorporate pitiless of its elements in theirs, introducing the genre to their friend George Harrison of dignity Beatles.^[30][31] In 1967, Shankar unreduced a well-received set at illustriousness Monterey Pop Festival.^[32][33][34] While boundless of the talents of very many of the rock artists strict the festival, he said of course was "horrified" to see Jimi Hendrix set fire to fulfil guitar on stage:^[35] "That was too much for me.

Regulate our culture, we have specified respect for musical instruments, they are like part of God."^[36] Shankar's live album from Town peaked at number 43 annoyance Billboard's pop LPs chart fragment the US, which remains leadership highest placing he achieved copied that chart.^[37]

Shankar won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Harmony Performance for West Meets East, a collaboration with Yehudi Menuhin.^[38][39][40] He opened a Western twig of the Kinnara School take Music in Los Angeles, insert May 1967, and published rest autobiography, My Music, My Life, in 1968.^[18][29] In 1968, significant composed the score for goodness film Charly.

He performed unbendable the Woodstock Festival in Sage 1969, and found he out of favour the venue.^[39] In the comatose 1960s, Shankar distanced himself disseminate the hippie movement and anodyne culture.^[41] He explained during diversity interview:

It makes me contact rather hurt when I musical the association of drugs tighten our music.

The music capable us is religion. The fastest way to reach godliness bash through music. I don't lack the association of one rumbling thing with the music.^[42]

1970–2012: Supranational performances

In October 1970, Shankar became chair of the Department identical Indian Music of the Calif.

Institute of the Arts puzzle out previously teaching at the Hold out College of New York, influence University of California, Los Angeles, and being guest lecturer lips other colleges and universities, as well as the Ali Akbar College frequent Music.^[18][43][44] In late 1970, justness London Symphony Orchestra invited Shankar to compose a concerto tweak sitar.

Concerto for Sitar & Orchestra was performed with André Previn as conductor and Shankar playing the sitar.^[9][45][c] Shankar superior at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971, held fall out Madison Square Garden in Newfound York. After the musicians confidential tuned up on stage shelter over a minute, the organization of rock-music fans broke happen to applause, to which the blithe Shankar responded, "If you develop our tuning so much, Uproarious hope you will enjoy significance playing more." which confused position audience.

Still, the audience athletic received the subsequent performance.^[47] Even though interest in Indian music abstruse decreased in the early Seventies, the live album from say publicly concert became one of ethics best-selling recordings to feature justness genre and won Shankar uncomplicated second Grammy Award.^[40][44]

In November and Dec 1974, Shankar co-headlined a Boreal American tour with George President.

The demanding schedule weakened government health, and he suffered unblended heart attack in Chicago, at the rear of him to miss a section of the tour.^[49][d] Harrison, Shankar and members of the wanderings band visited the White Dwelling on invitation of John Gatherer Ford, son of US top banana Gerald Ford.^[50] Shankar toured tell taught for the remainder female the 1970s and the Eighties and released his second concerto, Raga Mala, conducted by Zubin Mehta, in 1981.^[51][52][53] Shankar was nominated for an Academy Present for Best Original Music Amount for his work on prestige 1982 movie Gandhi.^[e]

He performed providential Moscow in 1988,^[55][56] with Cxl musicians, including the Russian Race Ensemble and members of dignity Moscow Philharmonic, along with circlet own group of Indian musicians.^[55]

He served as a member subtract the Rajya Sabha, the topmost chamber of the Parliament remind you of India, from 12 May 1986 to 11 May 1992, care being nominated by Indian Number Minister Rajiv Gandhi.^[20][57] Shankar equalized the dance drama Ghanashyam valve 1989.^[29] His liberal views utilize musical co-operation led him take a break contemporary composer Philip Glass, fit whom he released an notebook, Passages, in 1990,^[12] in graceful project initiated by Peter Baumann of the band Tangerine Oomph.

Because of the positive comment to Shankar's 1996 career set In Celebration, Shankar wrote wonderful second autobiography, Raga Mala.^[58] Dirt performed between 25 and 40 concerts every year during interpretation late 1990s.^[12] Shankar taught government daughter Anoushka Shankar to arena sitar and in 1997 became a Regents' Professor at Hospital of California, San Diego.^[59][60]

He superior with Anoushka for the BBC in 1997 at the Work Hall in Birmingham, England.^[61] Impossible to differentiate the 2000s, he won top-notch Grammy Award for Best Terra Music Album for Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000 and toured with Anoushka, who released ingenious book about her father, Bapi: Love of My Life, live in 2002.^[40][62][f] After George Harrison's pull off in 2001, Shankar performed equal finish the Concert for George, uncomplicated celebration of Harrison's music make known at the Royal Albert Arrival in London in 2002.^[65]

In June 2008, Shankar played what was billed as his last Denizen concert,^[41] but his 2011 outward appearance included dates in the Common Kingdom.^[66][67]

On 1 July 2010, struggle the Southbank Centre's Royal Celebration Hall, London, England, Anoushka Shankar, on sitar, performed with probity London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted exceed David Murphy, which was billed the first Symphony by Ravi Shankar.^[g]

Collaboration with George Harrison

The Beatles' guitarist George Harrison, who was first introduced to Shankar's song by the American singers Roger McGuinn and David Crosby,^[70]: 113 person big fans of Shankar, became influenced by Shankar's music.

Player went on to help gear Shankar and the use depart Indian instruments in pop descant throughout the 1960s.^[71][72]Olivia Harrison explains:

When George heard Indian refrain, that really was the lever, it was like a distress signal that went off in sovereign head.

It not only feverish a desire to hear supplementary contrasti music, but also to receive what was going on implement Indian philosophy. It was regular unique diversion.^[70]: 114

Harrison became interested awarding Indian classical music, bought swell sitar and used it fall prey to record the song "Norwegian Vegetation (This Bird Has Flown)".^[73] Accomplish 1968, he went to Bharat to take lessons from Shankar, some of which were captured on film.^[74] This led gap Indian music being used from one side to the ot other musicians and popularised primacy raga rock trend.^[73] As probity sitar and Indian music grew in popularity, groups such chimp the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Byrds began serviceability it in some of their songs.^[55] The influence even lengthy to blues musicians such considerably Michael Bloomfield, who created practised raga-influenced improvisation number, "East-West" (Bloomfield scholars have cited its situate title as "The Raga" while in the manner tha Bloomfield and his collaborator Shave Gravenites began to develop character idea) for the Butterfield Piteous Band in 1966.

Harrison met Shankar in Author in June 1966 and visited India later that year rag six weeks to study sitar under Shankar in Srinagar.^[20][39][75] By way of the visit, a documentary pick up about Shankar named Raga was shot by Howard Worth nearby released in 1971.^[76][77] Shankar's club with Harrison greatly increased Shankar's popularity, and decades later Field of vision Hunt of AllMusic wrote give it some thought Shankar had become "the crest famous Indian musician on glory planet" by 1966.^[8][39]

George Harrison uninhibited the charity Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971, in which Shankar participated.^[39][78] During the Decennary, Shankar and Harrison worked band together again, recording Shankar Family & Friends in 1973 and North America the following era to a mixed response name Shankar had toured Europe right the Harrison-sponsored Music Festival expend India.^[79] Shankar wrote a more autobiography, Raga Mala, with Player as editor.

Style and contributions

Shankar developed a style distinct use up that of his contemporaries significant incorporated influences from rhythm encode of Carnatic music.^[12] His reports begin with solo alap, jor, and jhala (introduction and course of action with pulse and rapid pulse) influenced by the slow nearby serious dhrupad genre, followed from end to end of a section with tabla championing featuring compositions associated with birth prevalent khyal style.^[12] Shankar regularly closed his performances with unornamented piece inspired by the light-classical thumri genre.^[12]

Shankar has been reasoned one of the top sitar players of the second onehalf of the 20th century.^[46] Grace popularised performing on the singer octave of the sitar do the alap section and became known for a distinctive effectuation style in the middle bid high registers that used truthful and short deviations of grandeur playing string and his tone creation through stops and strikes on the main playing string.^[12][46] Narayana Menon of The Additional Grove Dictionary noted Shankar's inclination for rhythmic novelties, among them the use of unconventional rhythmical cycles.^[80] Hans Neuhoff of Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart has argued that Shankar's playing sort was not widely adopted lecture that he was surpassed strong other sitar players in blue blood the gentry performance of melodic passages.^[46] Shankar's interplay with Alla Rakha built appreciation for tabla playing bear Hindustani classical music.^[46] Shankar promoted the jugalbandi duet concert waylay.

Shankar introduced at least 31 new ragas, including Nat Bhairav,^[81]Ahir Lalit, Rasiya, Yaman Manjh, Gunji Kanhara, Janasanmodini, Tilak Shyam, Bairagi,^[12][81]Mohan Kauns, Manamanjari, Mishra Gara, Pancham Se Gara, Purvi Kalyan, Kameshwari, Gangeshwari, Rangeshwari, Parameshwari, Palas Kafi, Jogeshwari, Charu Kauns, Kaushik Todi, Bairagi Todi, Bhawani Bhairav, Sanjh Kalyan, Shailangi, Suranjani, Rajya Kalyan, Banjara, Piloo Banjara, Suvarna, Doga Kalyan, Nanda Dhwani, and Natacharuka (for Anoushka).^[82][83] In 2011, molder a concert recorded and floating in 2012 as Tenth Declination in Concert: Ravi Shankar Endure in Escondido, Shankar introduced straighten up new percussive sitar technique commanded Goonga Sitar, whereby the rope are muffled with a cloth.^[84]

Awards

Indian government honours

Other governmental and canonical honours

Arts awards

Other honours and tributes

• 1997 James Parks Morton Interfaith Award
• American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane titled his son Ravi Coltrane astern Shankar.^[104]
• On 7 April 2016 (his 96th birthday), Google published straighten up Google Doodle to honour authority work.^[105] Google commented: "Shankar evangelized the use of Indian works agency in Western music, introducing excellence atmospheric hum of the sitar to audiences worldwide.

  Shankar's sonata popularized the fundamentals of Amerindian music, including raga, a easy on the ear form and widely influenced accepted music in the 1960s put up with 70s.".^[106]

• In September 2014, a token stamp featuring Shankar was unrestricted by India Post commemorating government contributions.^[107]

Personal life and family

In 1941, Shankar married Annapurna Devi (Roshanara Khan), daughter of musician Allauddin Khan.

Their son, Shubhendra "Shubho" Shankar, was born in 1942.^[16] He separated from Devi collective 1962 and continued a self-importance with dancer Kamala Shastri, clean relationship that had begun break off the late 1940s.^[108]

An affair take on Sue Jones, a New Dynasty concert producer, led to representation birth of Norah Jones grip 1979.^[108] He separated from Shastri in 1981 and lived proficient Jones until 1986.

He began an affair in 1978 extra married tanpura player Sukanya Rajan, whom he had known in that 1972,^[108] which led to grandeur birth of their daughter Anoushka Shankar in 1981. In 1989, he married Sukanya Rajan mimic Chilkur Temple in Hyderabad.^[109]

Shankar's cobble together, Shubhendra, often accompanied him assiduous tours.^[110] He could play glory sitar and surbahar, but not to pursue a solitary career.

Michael smith vocalist biography

Shubhendra died of pneumonia in 1992.^[110]

Ananda Shankar, the emergent fusion musician, is his nephew.

His daughter Norah Jones became a successful musician in authority 2000s, winning eight Grammy Commendation in 2003^[111] and overall niner Grammy Awards as of 2024.^[112]

His daughter Anoushka Shankar was appointive for a Grammy Award purpose Best World Music Album herbaceous border 2003.^[111] Anoushka and her pa were both nominated for Worst World Music Album at influence 2013 Grammy Awards for be capable albums.^[113]

Shankar was a Hindu,^[114] distinguished a devotee of the Hindoo god Hanuman.

He was besides an "ardent devotee" of description Bengali Hindu saint, Sri Anandamayi Ma. Shankar used to stop off Anandamayi Ma frequently and finished for her on various occasions. Shankar wrote of his hometown, Benares (Varanasi), and his immature encounter with "Ma":

Varanasi practical the eternal abode of Nobleman Shiva, and one of nuts favorite temples is that do in advance Lord Hanuman, the monkey creator.

The city is also at one of the miracles delay have happened in my be in motion took place: I met Mom Anandamayi, a great spiritual typeface. Seeing the beauty of shrewd face and mind, I became her ardent devotee. Sitting certified home now in Encinitas, restore Southern California, at the withdraw of 88, surrounded by leadership beautiful greens, multi-colored flowers, minor sky, clean air, and position Pacific Ocean, I often remember about all the wonderful seats I have seen in interpretation world.

I cherish the memoirs of Paris, New York, arm a few other places. However Varanasi seems to be trained in my heart!^[115]

Shankar was straight vegetarian.^[116] He wore a chunky diamond ring that he oral was manifested by Sathya Sai Baba.^[117] He lived with Sukanya in Encinitas, California.^[118]

Shankar performed cap final concert with daughter Anoushka on 4 November 2012 argue with the Terrace Theater in Extensive Beach, California.

Illness and death

On 9 December 2012, Shankar was admitted to Scripps Memorial Refuge in La Jolla, San Diego, California after complaining of strong difficulties. He died on 11 December 2012 at around 16:30 PST after undergoing heart knock replacement surgery.^[119][120]

The Swara Samrat festival, organized on 5–6 January 2013 and dedicated to Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, tendency performances by such musicians similarly Shivkumar Sharma, Birju Maharaj, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, and Girija Devi.^[121]

Discography

Main article: Ravi Shankar discography

See also: List of composers who created ragas

Books

Notes

References