RAVI SHANKAR
Ravi Shankar was born in Benares, India, on 7 April 1920. At nine, he moves in to Paris with his brother and becomes a member of a company formed by Indian dancers and musicians. There, at age thirteen, meets his master and guru, Baba Ustad Alauddin Khan, starting thus his practising with the sitar that would lead him into his fourteen-hours study a day.
Baba Ustad was the introducer in the early 40s, of the "ugalbandi". These are duos of two different instrument and would prove decisive for Ravi, who, along with his great friend Ali Akbar Khan, would achieve great success.
The start of his relationship with George Harrison starts in June 1966 when he meets George and Pattie at some mutual friend's house. Harrison talks to him abut his interest for the instrument and Ravi tells him about its peculiarities and the time it takes to know the basic positions to start playing it. Without a blink, the Beatle assures him he's ready to start the discipline and invites him to his bungalow in Esher. Out of this meeting came a formal invitation to George and
Pattie to visit India and start Hari's adventures with the sitar.Shortly after his return to India, Ravi Shankar receives a letter from George Harrison saying he's got six weeks off and he's going to visit him. On the master's suggestions, George has his hair cut, grows a moustache and books himself in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay under a false name. But all this didn't work out that well because in 24 hours everybody in the city knows where the Beatle is, Shankar arranges a press conference to try to make the public understand that the famous personality was there as a disciple and needed peace.
Even so, they had to get away from the big city and moved to Benares to start the lessons. There he teaches him the correct positions of the fingers, the way of sitting down and a great deal of basic exercises. In those weeks, George meets more than 200 students of Ravi, and he even takes part in a religious festival on the verge of the Ganges. Later on, the lessons would continue in London and Hollywood in 1967.
Although the first Beatles' song with sitar in it was "
Norwegian Wood", the true expansion of this instrument took place when "Within You Without You" was released. In it, Indian musicians were used. The expansion leads to selling many mire sitars in USA in 1968 than in India itself. That year, and also using native musicians, George records "The Inner Light".The contact with the Beatles made Ravi so popular that he is required to appear in big concerts such as Monterrey or Woodstock. He even creates his own music school in Los Angeles.
"Joi Bangla, Oh Bhaugowan", his first Apple record, was produced by George and edited in August in 1971. In December of that same year his first album, Raga, is released, which was the sound track for the film of the same title. it was a documentary where George Harrison comes up in a particular scene playing Ravi's student. Harrison himself, along with Ringo,
Mal Evans and wives appeared as invited artists in another film about Ravi and his music: Messenger of The East.In 1972, George produces him again in In Concert, recorded live in the New York Philharmonic Hall. Two years later, with Dark Horse and produced by the Beatle, Shankar Family And Friends is launched.
Back to 1971, Ravi, deeply concerned about the dreadful life conditions for the children of Bangladesh, decides to help the Asian country by offering a benefit gala. Harrison and Ravi tell Ringo and Leon Russell about the idea and in a few weeks, the concert is already organised and counts with other musicians such as Dylan, Preston or Clapton. On 1st August 1971, Ravi opens the concert performing "Bangla Dhun" in the Madison Square Garden in New York before 40.000 people.
The growing friendship between the Indian musician and the British one is so great that the former took part with his usual musicians in the dreadful tour that George made in 1974 throughout the USA.
Ravi Shankar has been performing all through the west. His friendship and collaboration with the violinist Yehudi Menhuin has been one of the most celebrated meetings between both cultures. He's been awarded by famous festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Berlin due to his songs for several films. Outstanding was his composition for the soundtrack of the film Gandhi, for which he was nominated to the Oscars.
He's a BA in y subjects today and lives in California with his wife Kanya and his daughter Anoushka. he hasn't given up performing, but he concentrates on teaching a small number of students the secret of his art.
Ravi has written his autobiography (with a foreword by George Harrison) and celebrated his 75 birthday offering a concert in July 1995 at the Royal Festival hall. George Harrison was among the audience.
In 1995, 9 CDs containing his best performances have been released and George and he have been working in India in a record with chantings from the country. now it is released and ready for your enjoyment.