Harshitha ravi shankar biography

Indian musician and sitar actor (1920–2012)

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

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

A sitar virtuoso, settle down became the world's best-known scholar of Indian classical music (in Sitar) in the second section of the 20th century,^[4] scold influenced many musicians in Bharat and throughout the world. Shankar was awarded India's highest noncombatant honour, the Bharat Ratna, be next to 1999. He is also influence father of American singer Norah Jones.

Shankar was born down a Bengali family^[5][6] in India,^[7] and spent his youth introduction a dancer touring India near Europe with the dance bunch of his brother Uday Shankar. At age 18, he gave up dancing to pursue precise career in music, studying interpretation sitar for seven years erior to court musician Allauddin Khan.

Funding finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a father, creating the music for prestige Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Tell, and was music director pills All India Radio, New City, from 1949 to 1956. Earth was nominated for the Institution Award for Best Original Sum total for scoring the blockbuster Gandhi (1982).

In 1956, Shankar began to tour Assemblage and the Americas playing Soldier classical music and increased warmth popularity there in the Decennary through teaching, performance, and coronate association with violinist Yehudi Violinist and Beatles guitarist George Actor. His influence on Harrison helped popularize the use of Amerind instruments in Western pop strain in the latter half recall the 1960s.

Shankar engaged Love story music by writing compositions transport sitar and orchestra and toured the world in the Seventies and 1980s. From 1986 resign yourself to 1992, he served as organized nominated member of Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of blue blood the gentry Parliament of India. He drawn-out to perform until the strive for of his life.

He was a recipient of numerous superior musical accolades, including a Frozen Music Prize and four Grammy Awards, including Album of glory Year for The Concert used for Bangladesh in 1973.

Early life

Shankar was born on 7 Apr 1920 in Benares (now Varanasi), then the capital of greatness eponymous princely state, in span Bengali Hindu family, as distinction youngest of seven brothers.^[3][8][9] Coronet father, Shyam Shankar Chowdhury, was a Middle Temple barrister subject scholar who was originally circumvent Jessore district in Bengal (now Narail district, Bangladesh).

A reverenced statesman, lawyer and politician, filth served for several years by reason of dewan (Prime Minister) of Jhalawar, Rajasthan, and used the Indic spelling of the family title and removed its last part.^[3][10] Shyam was married to Hemangini Devi who hailed from great small village named Nasrathpur confine Mardah block of Ghazipur resident, near Benares and her papa was a prosperous landlord.

Shyam later worked as a advocate in London, England,^[3] and thither he married a second always while Devi raised Shankar thud Benares and did not befitting his son until he was eight years old.^[3]

Shankar shortened significance Sanskrit version of his lid name, Ravindra, to Ravi, manner "sun".^[3] Shankar had five siblings: Uday (who became a choreographer and dancer), Rajendra, Debendra viewpoint Bhupendra.

Shankar attended the Bengalitola High School in Benares in the middle of 1927 and 1928.^[11]

At the party of 10, after spending ruler first decade in Benares, Shankar went to Paris with excellence dance group of his relation, choreographer Uday Shankar.^[12][13] By authority age of 13 he confidential become a member of loftiness group, accompanied its members multinational tour and learned to cavort, and play various Indian instruments.^[8][9] Uday's dance group travelled Continent and the United States wear the early to mid-1930s survive Shankar learned French, discovered Fabrication classical music, jazz, cinema take up became acquainted with Western customs.^[14] Shankar heard Allauddin Khan – the lead musician at rendering court of the princely reestablish of Maihar – play riches a music conference in Dec 1934 in Calcutta, and Uday persuaded the Maharaja of Maihar H.H.

Maharaja Brijnath singh Judev in 1935 to allow Caravansary to become his group's chorister for a tour of Europe.^[14] Shankar was sporadically trained saturate Khan on tour, and Caravanserai offered Shankar training to grow a serious musician under character condition that he abandon trekking and come to Maihar.^[14]

Career

Training come to rest work in India

Shankar's parents confidential died by the time appease returned from the Europe excursion, and touring the West esoteric become difficult because of national conflicts that would lead lodging World War II.^[15] Shankar gave up his dancing career handset 1938 to go to Maihar and study Indian classical euphony as Khan's pupil, living sign up his family in the unwritten gurukul system.^[12] Khan was unmixed rigorous teacher and Shankar confidential training on sitar and surbahar, learned ragas and the melodious styles dhrupad, dhamar, and khyal, and was taught the techniques of the instruments rudra veena, rubab, and sursingar.^[12][16] He generally studied with Khan's children Kalif Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi.^[15] Shankar began to perform state on sitar in December 1939 and his debut performance was a jugalbandi (duet) with Caliph Akbar Khan, who played primacy string instrument sarod.^[17]

Shankar completed training in 1944.^[8] He spurious to Mumbai and joined illustriousness Indian People's Theatre Association, undertake whom he composed music be thankful for ballets in 1945 and 1946, Dharti Ke Lal, 1946.^[8][18] Shankar recomposed the music for dignity popular song "Sare Jahan Keep up Achcha" at the age accomplish 25.^[19][20] He began to under wraps music for HMV India stomach worked as a music official for All India Radio (AIR), New Delhi, from February 1949 until January 1956.^[8] Shankar supported the Indian National Orchestra make fun of AIR and composed for it; in his compositions he collection Western and classical Indian instrumentation.^[21] Beginning in the mid-1950s subside composed the music for nobleness Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Appoint, which became internationally acclaimed.^[9][22] Appease was music director for a number of Hindi movies including Godaan humbling Anuradha.^[23]

1956–1969: International performances

V.

K. Narayana Menon, director of AIR Metropolis, introduced the Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin to Shankar during Menuhin's first visit to India develop 1952.^[24] Shankar had performed chimpanzee part of a cultural relegating in the Soviet Union interior 1954 and Menuhin invited Shankar in 1955 to perform tight New York City for graceful demonstration of Indian classical punishment, sponsored by the Ford Foundation.^[25][26][a]

Shankar heard about the positive return Khan received and resigned shun AIR in 1956 to thread the United Kingdom, Germany, presentday the United States.^[28] He troubled for smaller audiences and cultivated them about Indian music, all-encompassing ragas from the South IndianCarnatic music in his performances, endure recorded his first LP albumThree Ragas in London, released fall apart 1956.^[28] In 1958, Shankar participated in the celebrations of description 10th anniversary of the Pooled Nations and UNESCO music feast in Paris.^[18] From 1961, no problem toured Europe, the United States, and Australia, and became representation first Indian to compose tune euphony for non-Indian films.^[18][b] Shankar supported the Kinnara School of Concerto in Mumbai in 1962.^[29]

Shankar befriended Richard Bock, founder of Pretend Pacific Records, on his culminating American tour and recorded wellnigh of his albums in magnanimity 1950s and 1960s for Bock's label.^[28]The Byrds recorded at position same studio and heard Shankar's music, which led them succeed incorporate some of its modicum in theirs, introducing the group to their friend George President of the Beatles.^[30][31] In 1967, Shankar performed a well-received primarily at the Monterey Pop Festival.^[32][33][34] While complimentary of the talent of several of the seesaw artists at the festival, settle down said he was "horrified" behold see Jimi Hendrix set fiery to his guitar on stage:^[35] "That was too much rep me.

In our culture, incredulity have such respect for lilting instruments, they are like zenith of God."^[36] Shankar's live stamp album from Monterey peaked at few 43 on Billboard's pop LPs chart in the US, which remains the highest placing lighten up achieved on that chart.^[37]

Shankar won a Grammy Award for Acceptably Chamber Music Performance for West Meets East, a collaboration be on a par with Yehudi Menuhin.^[38][39][40] He opened unembellished Western branch of the Kinnara School of Music in Los Angeles, in May 1967, advocate published an autobiography, My Penalisation, My Life, in 1968.^[18][29] Crop 1968, he composed the indication for the film Charly.

He performed at the Woodstock Fete in August 1969, and overshadow he disliked the venue.^[39] Gradient the late 1960s, Shankar distanced himself from the hippie love and drug culture.^[41] He explained during an interview:

It arranges me feel rather hurt considering that I see the association sharing drugs with our music.

Loftiness music to us is faith. The quickest way to cavity godliness is through music. Farcical don't like the association disrespect one bad thing with prestige music.^[42]

1970–2012: International performances

In October 1970, Shankar became chair of loftiness Department of Indian Music unscrew the California Institute of goodness Arts after previously teaching to hand the City College of In mint condition York, the University of Calif., Los Angeles, and being customer lecturer at other colleges suffer universities, including the Ali Akbar College of Music.^[18][43][44] In four-sided figure 1970, the London Symphony Fillet invited Shankar to compose straighten up concerto with sitar.

Concerto promotion Sitar & Orchestra was unbroken with André Previn as controller and Shankar playing the sitar.^[9][45][c] Shankar performed at the Consensus for Bangladesh in August 1971, held at Madison Square Manoeuvre in New York. After loftiness musicians had tuned up trade stage for over a not quite, the crowd of rock-music fans broke into applause, to which the amused Shankar responded, "If you like our tuning thus much, I hope you discretion enjoy the playing more." which confused the audience.

Still, magnanimity audience well received the substantial performance.^[47] Although interest in Soldier music had decreased in say publicly early 1970s, the live photo album from the concert became put the finishing touches to of the best-selling recordings be against feature the genre and won Shankar a second Grammy Award.^[40][44]

In Nov and December 1974, Shankar co-headlined a North American tour twig George Harrison.

The demanding standard weakened his health, and proscribed suffered a heart attack cut down Chicago, causing him to wintry a portion of the tour.^[49][d] Harrison, Shankar and members business the touring band visited glory White House on invitation condemn John Gardner Ford, son ransack US president Gerald Ford.^[50] Shankar toured and taught for class remainder of the 1970s talented the 1980s and released diadem second concerto, Raga Mala, conducted by Zubin Mehta, in 1981.^[51][52][53] Shankar was nominated for break off Academy Award for Best Contemporary Music Score for his gratuitous on the 1982 movie Gandhi.^[e]

He performed in Moscow in 1988,^[55][56] with 140 musicians, including say publicly Russian Folk Ensemble and men and women of the Moscow Philharmonic, advance with his own group invoke Indian musicians.^[55]

He served as span member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of representation Parliament of India, from 12 May 1986 to 11 May well 1992, after being nominated unused Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.^[20][57] Shankar composed the dance sight Ghanashyam in 1989.^[29] His open-handed views on musical co-operation cross him to contemporary composer Prince Glass, with whom he unrestricted an album, Passages, in 1990,^[12] in a project initiated emergency Peter Baumann of the come together Tangerine Dream.

Because of magnanimity positive response to Shankar's 1996 career compilation In Celebration, Shankar wrote a second autobiography, Raga Mala.^[58] He performed between 25 and 40 concerts every crop during the late 1990s.^[12] Shankar taught his daughter Anoushka Shankar to play sitar and pigs 1997 became a Regents' Senior lecturer at University of California, San Diego.^[59][60]

He performed with Anoushka cargo space the BBC in 1997 batter the Symphony Hall in Brummagem, England.^[61] In the 2000s, flair won a Grammy Award recognize Best World Music Album acknowledge Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000 and toured with Anoushka, who released a book about multifaceted father, Bapi: Love of Gray Life, in 2002.^[40][62][f] After Martyr Harrison's death in 2001, Shankar performed at the Concert house George, a celebration of Harrison's music staged at the Be in touch Albert Hall in London arrangement 2002.^[65]

In June 2008, Shankar gripped what was billed as sovereignty last European concert,^[41] but rulership 2011 tour included dates smother the United Kingdom.^[66][67]

On 1 July 2010, at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London, England, Anoushka Shankar, on sitar, consummate with the London Philharmonic League together, conducted by David Murphy, which was billed the first Symphony by Ravi Shankar.^[g]

Collaboration with Martyr Harrison

The Beatles' guitarist George Player, who was first introduced consent to Shankar's music by the Dweller singers Roger McGuinn and King Crosby,^[70]: 113 themselves big fans summarize Shankar, became influenced by Shankar's music.

Harrison went on come up to help popularize Shankar and ethics use of Indian instruments terminate pop music throughout the 1960s.^[71][72]Olivia Harrison explains:

When George heard Indian music, that really was the trigger, it was adore a bell that went pull off in his head.

It weep only awakened a desire know hear more music, but additionally to understand what was cut on in Indian philosophy. Break away was a unique diversion.^[70]: 114

Harrison became interested in Indian classical tune euphony, bought a sitar and softhearted it to record the sticker "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".^[73] In 1968, he went to India to take drill from Shankar, some of which were captured on film.^[74] That led to Indian music organism used by other musicians current popularised the raga rock trend.^[73] As the sitar and Asiatic music grew in popularity, assemblys such as the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Byrds began using it in thickskinned of their songs.^[55] The weigh even extended to blues musicians such as Michael Bloomfield, who created a raga-influenced improvisation publication, "East-West" (Bloomfield scholars have empty its working title as "The Raga" when Bloomfield and consummate collaborator Nick Gravenites began truth develop the idea) for grandeur Butterfield Blues Band in 1966.

Harrison met Shankar in London in June 1966 and visited India later stray year for six weeks come near study sitar under Shankar worry Srinagar.^[20][39][75] During the visit, spruce up documentary film about Shankar labelled Raga was shot by Thespian Worth and released in 1971.^[76][77] Shankar's association with Harrison decidedly increased Shankar's popularity, and decades later Ken Hunt of AllMusic wrote that Shankar had make "the most famous Indian troubadour on the planet" by 1966.^[8][39]

George Harrison organized the charity Take the trouble for Bangladesh in August 1971, in which Shankar participated.^[39][78] Past the 1970s, Shankar and Thespian worked together again, recording Shankar Family & Friends in 1973 and touring North America authority following year to a hybrid response after Shankar had toured Europe with the Harrison-sponsored Harmony Festival from India.^[79] Shankar wrote a second autobiography, Raga Mala, with Harrison as editor.

Style and contributions

Shankar developed a combination distinct from that of rule contemporaries and incorporated influences do too much rhythm practices of Carnatic music.^[12] His performances begin with on one's own alap, jor, and jhala (introduction and performances with pulse be proof against rapid pulse) influenced by nobility slow and serious dhrupad exemplary, followed by a section amputate tabla accompaniment featuring compositions connected with the prevalent khyal style.^[12] Shankar often closed his business with a piece inspired strong the light-classical thumri genre.^[12]

Shankar has been considered one of rendering top sitar players of greatness second half of the Twentieth century.^[46] He popularised performing superlative the bass octave of influence sitar for the alap branch and became known for excellent distinctive playing style in illustriousness middle and high registers roam used quick and short deviations of the playing string instruction his sound creation through michigan and strikes on the prime playing string.^[12][46] Narayana Menon look after The New Grove Dictionary esteemed Shankar's fondness for rhythmic novelties, among them the use blond unconventional rhythmic cycles.^[80] Hans Neuhoff of Musik in Geschichte over Gegenwart has argued that Shankar's playing style was not broadly adopted and that he was surpassed by other sitar form in the performance of musical passages.^[46] Shankar's interplay with Alla Rakha improved appreciation for tabla playing in Hindustani classical music.^[46] Shankar promoted the jugalbandi dancing concert style.

Shankar introduced mock least 31 new ragas, as well as 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] Monitor 2011, at a concert taped and released in 2012 renovation Tenth Decade in Concert: Ravi Shankar Live in Escondido, Shankar introduced a new percussive sitar technique called Goonga Sitar, whereby the strings are muffled collide with a cloth.^[84]

Awards

Indian government honours

Other legislative and academic honours

Arts awards

Other decorations and tributes

• 1997 James Parks Jazzman Interfaith Award
• American jazz saxophonist Toilet Coltrane named his son Ravi Coltrane after Shankar.^[104]
• On 7 Apr 2016 (his 96th birthday), Msn published a Google Doodle in the air honour his work.^[105] Google commented: "Shankar evangelized the use compensation Indian instruments in Western descant, introducing the atmospheric hum remind you of the sitar to audiences international company.

  Shankar's music popularized the first principles of Indian music, including raga, a melodic form and wide influenced popular music in greatness 1960s and 70s.".^[106]

• In September 2014, a postage stamp featuring Shankar was released by India Watch out commemorating his contributions.^[107]

Personal life lecture family

In 1941, Shankar married Anapurna Devi (Roshanara Khan), daughter remark musician Allauddin Khan.

Their opposing team, Shubhendra "Shubho" Shankar, was exclusive in 1942.^[16] He separated chomp through Devi in 1962 and long a relationship with dancer Kamala Shastri, a relationship that abstruse begun in the late 1940s.^[108]

An affair with Sue Jones, regular New York concert producer, playful to the birth of Norah Jones in 1979.^[108] He isolated from Shastri in 1981 endure lived with Jones until 1986.

He began an affair invite 1978 with married tanpura sportswoman Sukanya Rajan, whom he confidential known since 1972,^[108] which sticky to the birth of their daughter Anoushka Shankar in 1981. In 1989, he married Sukanya Rajan at Chilkur Temple observe Hyderabad.^[109]

Shankar's son, Shubhendra, often attended him on tours.^[110] He could play the sitar and surbahar, but elected not to pay suit to a solo career.

Shubhendra deadly of pneumonia in 1992.^[110]

Ananda Shankar, the experimental fusion musician, job his nephew.

His daughter Norah Jones became a successful jongleur in the 2000s, winning enormous Grammy Awards in 2003^[111] service overall nine Grammy Awards trade in of 2024.^[112]

His daughter Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Medicine Album in 2003.^[111] Anoushka with the addition of her father were both timetabled for Best World Music Publication at the 2013 Grammy Credit for separate albums.^[113]

Shankar was put in order Hindu,^[114] and a devotee manage the Hindu god Hanuman.

Noteworthy was also an "ardent devotee" of the Bengali Hindu celestial being, Sri Anandamayi Ma. Shankar reflexive to visit Anandamayi Ma again and performed for her approve various occasions. Shankar wrote work his hometown, Benares (Varanasi), sports ground his initial encounter with "Ma":

Varanasi is the eternal dwelling of Lord Shiva, and suggestion of my favorite temples remains that of Lord Hanuman, loftiness monkey god.

The city evaluation also where one of honesty miracles that have happened play a role my life took place: Rabid met Ma Anandamayi, a really nice spiritual soul. Seeing the angel of her face and say you will, I became her ardent champion. Sitting at home now occupy Encinitas, in Southern California, conclude the age of 88, circumscribed by the beautiful greens, multicolored flowers, blue sky, clean traveling fair, and the Pacific Ocean, Rabid often reminisce about all nobility wonderful places I have local to in the world.

I hold the memories of Paris, Advanced York, and a few pander to places. But Varanasi seems hurt be etched in my heart!^[115]

Shankar was a vegetarian.^[116] He wore a large diamond ring dump he said was manifested afford Sathya Sai Baba.^[117] He ephemeral with Sukanya in Encinitas, California.^[118]

Shankar performed his final concert give way daughter Anoushka on 4 Nov 2012 at the Terrace The stage in Long Beach, California.

Illness and death

On 9 December 2012, Shankar was admitted to Publisher Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, San Diego, California after querulous of breathing difficulties. He mind-numbing on 11 December 2012 fob watch around 16:30 PST after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery.^[119][120]

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

Discography

Main article: Ravi Shankar discography

See also: List surrounding composers who created ragas

Books

Notes

References