Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pandit Ravi Shankar
Markgoff2972 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Ravi Shankar
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth name	Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury
Birth date	1920-04-07
Birth place	Benares
Death date	2012-12-11
Death place	San Diego
Instrument	Sitar
Genre	Hindustani classical music
Occupation	Musician, composer, teacher
Years active	1930s–2012

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Pandit Ravi Shankar was an Indian sitar virtuoso, composer, and pedagogue who popularized Hindustani classical music worldwide and influenced generations of musicians across Asia, Europe, and North America. Known for landmark concerts at Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Monterey Pop Festival, he collaborated with artists from George Harrison to Philip Glass and mentored students including Anoushka Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee. His career intersected with institutions and events such as the United Nations, the Grammy Awards, and the Concert for Bangladesh, leaving a durable imprint on cross-cultural musical exchange.

Early life and musical training

Born in Benares to a Bengali family, he moved to Dacca and later to Kolkata where he began performing in All India Radio broadcasts and in Indian People's Theatre Association productions. Early exposure included work with Uday Shankar's dance troupe and study under Allauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana, receiving training connected to musicians like Ali Akbar Khan and traditions from Lucknow and Gwalior. He absorbed repertoire encompassing raga forms, tala cycles linked to maestros such as Vilayat Khan and Faiyaz Khan, and learned compositional techniques used by Bismillah Khan and Abdul Karim Khan.

His international breakout included appearances at Royal Albert Hall and a celebrated 1967 performance at Monterey Pop Festival followed by headline slots at Carnegie Hall and the Isle of Wight Festival. He curated seasons at venues including Festival of India presentations hosted by ministries and cultural bodies such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and toured with ensembles to Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Moscow, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Toronto, London, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Istanbul, Cairo, Beijing, and Dhaka. His 1971 Concert for Bangladesh organized with George Harrison and featuring Bob Dylan was staged at Madison Square Garden and promoted humanitarian collaboration with figures like Henry Kissinger and agencies of the United Nations.

He collaborated with Western figures including George Harrison, The Beatles, Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass, John Coltrane, Sting, Eric Clapton, Allan Kozinn, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Asha Bhosle, Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Ravi Shankar (note: do not link) (excluded), Anoushka Shankar (student), and ensembles such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He influenced rock and jazz musicians at events including the Woodstock Festival and through recordings on labels like Apple Records, Columbia Records, and World Pacific Records. Cross-genre projects involved film composers such as George Martin and directors like Satyajit Ray and Richard Attenborough who incorporated classical Indian motifs introduced by his performances.

As a composer he created concert works, film scores, and chamber pieces performed by orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and ensembles at the Royal Festival Hall. He wrote ragas and studio recordings that entered curricula at institutions such as Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Oriental and African Studies, Banaras Hindu University, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai). His pedagogical lineage includes disciples like Anoushka Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Alla Rakha, and contemporaries such as Ali Akbar Khan; he established schools and workshops in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Bombay to disseminate technique, raga theory, and improvisational practice.

He received numerous honours including multiple Grammy Awards, the Bharat Ratna, the Order of Merit (honorary mentions), the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan, and nominations from bodies such as the Academy Awards for film music. Other recognitions included fellowships from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame adjacent programs, honorary degrees from Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Yale University, and the Royal Academy of Music. Festivals and institutions such as the BBC and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have staged retrospectives and tributes.

His personal life connected him to cultural figures including family members and partners linked to London and Los Angeles artistic circles; his daughter Norah Jones achieved prominence in United States popular music while his daughter Anoushka Shankar continued the classical lineage. He maintained dialogues with leaders and intellectuals including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, George Harrison, A. R. Rahman, Amartya Sen, Ravi Shankar (note: do not link) (excluded), and critics at publications like The New York Times and The Guardian. His legacy endures in institutions such as the Ravi Shankar Centre and through recordings archived at libraries like the Library of Congress and collections at the British Library, influencing world music, fusion genres, and contemporary composers across India, Europe, and North America.

Category:Indian sitar players Category:20th-century classical musicians Category:Recipients of the Bharat Ratna