Pandit Ravi Shankar, sitar maestro, passes away in California

Pandit Ravi Shankar, sitar maestro, passes away in California
Dec 12, 2012


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i.../17581097.cms?




NEW DELHI: Legendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away in San Diego, California in the United States on Tuesday evening.
The sitar maestro had been admitted at the Scripps Memorial Hospital on December 6.

He breathed his last at 4.30 p.m.

The sitar maestro, aged 92, had been under treatment for last one week. He was hospitalised last Thursday after he complained of breathing difficulties.
The Prime Minister's office confirmed his death and called him a "national treasure."

For nearly three decades, ever since his first tour of the United Statesand Europe in the 1956-57 season, Ravi Shankar has served as India's unofficial ambassador for music.

The music doyen was awarded India's highest civilian honour, theBharat Ratna in 1999. He also received three Grammy Awards.
He had collaborated with several international artists including George Harrison of 'The Beatles', which had garnered him fame all over the world.

He was active as a professional musician till the end and was one of the contenders for the next Grammys.

Panditji is survived by his wife Sukanya and musician daughters, sitar player Anushka Shankar and singer Norah Jones.

Ravi Shankar was born as Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury on April 7, 1920 and was referred by the title Pandit.

Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent his youth touring Europe and India with the dance group of his brother Uday Shankar.

He gave up dancing in 1938 to study sitar playing under court musician Allauddin Khan.

After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956.

In 1956, he began to tour Europe and America playing Indian classical music and increased its popularity there through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison.

I come out of retirement in honor of Ravi. This is such a huge loss that words cannot describe.

R.I.P. Ravi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Here is a couple more news articles.RIP Ravi Shankar.

Examiner
12/12/2012
Major Beatles influence, Ravi Shankar, dies

http://www.examiner.com/article/majo...i-shankar-dies

BBC News
12/12/2012
Ravi Shankar, Indian sitar maestro, dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20690632

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20690681

The world mourns the passing of sitar master Ravi Shankar who shuffled off his mortal coil on December 11. Godspeed him on his journey.

That said, I think the sitar is the worst pox on Western music, and I blame George Harrison for introducing that buzzing beehive of odious noise. Ironically, shortly after Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, George (my favorite Beatle, by the way) realized that he would never master that instrument and dropped it. Instead, he worked on perfecting his craft on the guitar. The best was yet to come, and when Abbey Road was released, George had two major hits on his hands: Here Comes the Sun and Something. The latter was declared one of the greatest love songs of all time by no less than Frank Sinatra (who mistakenly ascribed it to Lennon/McCartney).

Unfortunately, a lot of songs were released that could have been much better without that obnoxious droning sound - Snowbird (Anne Murray) and Hooked On a Feeling (B.J. Thomas) come to mind.

Oddly, I find Indian music interesting, and I actually like George's Within You, Without You because it doesn't pretend to be other than an Indian curiosity on the Beatles' aforementioned and magnificent album. I just don't think the damn thing belongs in popular music.

Ravi left his mark where it belongs. And, thanks also for giving the world his lovely talented daughter, Norah Jones.

^^^ He kept playing the sitar well after Sgt Pepper, and its even on his recorded work into the 1990'sm for instance the Traveling Wilburys Vol 3.

Not sure how you can like Indian music but detest the sitar..

As for it being a blight on western music, thats like saying a Toyota is better than a Rolls Royce. To each his own, but you cant really compare the meaningless fluff that is generally western pop music with the philosphy, grace, musical structure and virtuosity that comes with Indian Classical music and the sitar. Its like bicycles and Harley Davidsons...

Blame George all you want, i hardly think he'd care, he knew where it was at! If anything, incorporating sitar and other elements of Indian Classical music and philosophy into western music elevated and improved it.

I didn't say I detest Indian music, I said I detest the the sitar outside Indian music. I'm not sure I follow your analogies. There is a great deal to learn about Indian music. Same with opera music. Maybe someday I will.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure the devotees of Indian music and opera think - or used to - that the Beatles' music was vastly inferior. We know their music was superior in its milieu. Apples and oranges.