Pandit Ravi Shankar
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His
fingers are blessed with a magical touch. A touch that turns into
sheer musical melodies on the sitar. Yes, that's the legendary
sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar. A composer and player appreciated and
admired by music lovers across the globe. His contributions to
Indian classical music as a performer, composer, teacher and writer
are unparalleled.
Panditji also deserves credit for his pioneering work for showcasing
the brilliance of Indian classical music to the West. |
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Ravi
Shankar had a happy childhood. His father was an eminent barrister
and a high placed official in a princely state. Ravi Shankar studied
music and learnt to play the sitar under the guidance of Ustad
Allaudin Khan. His sangeet sadhana was as strenuous and grueling as
the tapasya (penance) done in the olden days by ascetics seeking
knowledge in the ashrams of their gurus. Living with Ustad Allaudin
Khan and pursuing his study, Ravi Shankar had to undergo rigorous
trials. The Ustad was a difficult master. At times Ravi Shankar was
even subjected to physical punishment. Coming from an affluent and
very highly placed family, it was very difficult for him to bear the
hard work and humiliating treatment. |
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Did
you know? |
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Although Ravi Shanksr's guru Ustad Allaudin Khan was a Muslim by
birth, he lived quite like an orthodox Hindu. He wore dhoti and
offered puja to Laxmi and Saraswati. |
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In his
efforts to introduce Western listeners to the appreciation and
enjoyment of Indian music, Ravi Shankar stared a technique of
presentation quite different from the traditional style. Soon, fear
arose among the music circles in India that Indian tradition and
prestige of Indian music might suffer in the process. However, his
style of introducing Western listeners to Indian music, and training
them to listen and enjoy the artistic beauty of our music has no
match. |
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Fundu
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It is Ravi Shankar who has to be credited for getting sitars (which
sold moderately well in India) exported in thousands to America and
other Western countries. Such was one of the aspects of the
popularity and success of Ravi Shankar that still remains unmatched.
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Ravi
Shankar has also written two concertos for sitar and orchestra,
violin-sitar compositions for Yehudi Menuhin and himself apart from
music for flute virtuoso Jean Pierre Rampal; music for Hosan
Yamamoto, master of the Shakuhachi and Musumi Miyashita - Koto
virtuoso, and collaborated with Phillip Glass (Passages). He has
also composed the background music for several Hindi films with
great success, Kabuliwala and Pather Panchali being the notable
ones. He has also composed extensively for films and ballets,
Canada, Europe and the United States, including Charly, Gandhi and
Apu Trilogy. Not surprisingly, he has received many awards and
honours from his own country others too, including fourteen
doctorates. |
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Did
you know? |
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In 1986 he was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, India's
upper house of Parliament. The love and respect he commands both in
India and in the West is unique and remarkable in the history of
music. |
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Did you know? |
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Fascinated by Ravi Shankar and his sitar are the likes of George
Harrison of the famous group, the Beatles. The Beatle star
produced and participated in two record albums, "Shankar Family
& Friends" and "Festival of India" which were composed by Ravi
Shankar. |
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Did
you know? |
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For a few years Pt. Ravi Shankar conducted the orchestra in All
India Radio where he made recordings of ragas presented in an
entirely novel and unique way. Pt. Ravi Shankar also holds the
distinction of being the first ever Indian artist to be selected to
make music for western films. |
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| Here's
what his admirers have to say - Yehudi Menuhin- "Ravi Shankar has
brought me a precious gift and through him I have added a new dimension
to my experience of music. To me, his genius and his humanity can only
be compared to that of MOZART'S." |
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Awards
and Achievements |
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National
Academy of Records, Arts and Science Award |
| Two
Grammy Awards |
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Silver Bear - Berlin Award for music in the film "Kabuliwala." |
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1967
Padma Bhushan Award |
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Billboard Editors "Recording Artist of the Year and Musician of the
Year". |
| First
Indian Musician to be commissioned by a major Western Orchestra, the
London Philharmonic, to compose a Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra. |
| 1972
GOLD DISC - For selling, more than 1 Million Dollars worth of
records for - "Concert for BANGLADESH". |
| 1979
Filmworld Award for "Contribution to Music and promoting India Image
Abroad. |
| 1981
Padma Vibhushan |
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Desikottam - Highest Award from Vishwa Bharati |
| 1983
City of Houston declared 4 & 5 June as Ravi Shankar Days. |
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Honorary Member - United Nations Rostrum of Composers and Honorary
Member of the Academy of Arts & Letters. |
| Honor
Summus Award - Watamull Foundation. |
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Prestigious Kalidas Samman Award - Bhopal, India. |
| 1990
Spirit of Freedom Award |
| 1991
Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award |
| GRAND
PRIZE Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes - (Japan) for Outstanding
Contribution to the Cultivation and Advancement of Asian Culture to the
World. |
| 1992
Chakra Award - San Diego Indian American Association shared with the
legendary composer Zubin Mehta of the Philharmonic Orchestra fame. |
| Ramon
Magsaysay Award - Manila, Philippines. |
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Mahatma Gandhi Award - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |
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PREMIUM IMPERIALE ARTS AWARD - Japan Art Association. |
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Appointed the first Regent's Professor in the Department of Music
at the University of California, San Diego. |
| Light
of Asia Award - The US-ASIA Foundation and the Indian American Forum
for Political Education. |
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BHARAT RATNA - 1999 - The Highest Civilian award in India |
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