Ravi Shankar

Genres:	Action & Adventure • Classical • Documentaries • Drama • Instrumental • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock • World Music
Descriptive "tags":	indian • sitar • world • indian classical • world music • ethnic
Decades Active:	1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Links online:	BBC Music • IMDb • MusicMoz • Official Homepage • Wikipedia

Biography

7 April 1920, Benares, India. The foremost exponent of Indian music, Shankar was largely responsible for introducing the sitar to western audiences. He began his career as a member of elder brother Uday’s music company, and was first recorded in 1936 playing esraj. In 1938 he gave up an interest in dance to study classical music under Guru Ustad Allauddin Khan of Mahair. An intensive eight-year period ensued, following which Shankar began performing in his own right. He contributed music to film maker Satyajit Ray’s trilogy: Pather Panchali, Aparajito and The World Of Apu. A US tour in 1957 ignited interest in both the artist and the syncopated raga. This position was enhanced by subsequent appearances under the sponsorship of the Asia Society Performing Arts Program. Shankar also enjoyed the approbation of fellow musicians, recording West Meets East with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and parts of Portrait Of A Genius with flautist Paul Horn, but drew greater...

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