Ravi Shankar (English: Ravi Shankar, full name: Pandit Ravindra Shankar Choudhary, born: April 7, 1920; death: December 11, 2012) was the greatest proclaimer of the excellence of Indian classical music to the world. He earned fame as a sitar player. It seems as if Ravi Shankar and sitar were made for each other. He was counted among the greatest musicians of this century. Ravi Shankar gained immense fame in foreign countries. He was very popular and successful in foreign countries. A kind of spiritual peace is found in Ravi Shankar’s music.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was born in culture-rich Kashi on April 7, 1920. Your early life was spent on the sacred ghats of Kashi. Pandit Ravi Shankar had a very happy childhood. His father was a distinguished barrister and held a high position in the royal family. When Ravi Shankar was only ten years old, his love for music started. Pandit Ravi Shankar entered the art world as a dancer in his childhood. He performed many dance programs with his elder brother Uday Shankar. Remembering those days he says-
I lived in Banaras. I had no direct connection with music, but my other brothers were completely interested in it. Someone played the flute and someone the sitar. My elder brother Pandit Uday Shankar ji used to dance. He took me with him to Paris. There were good musicians and artists in his group. It was from there that my passion for music developed. At first I started learning dance, but did not stay in this field for long. The reason was that my interest in music started increasing.
His initial music education took place at home. He made the famous musician and guru of that time, Ustad Alauddin Khan, his guru. It was from here that your musical journey formally began. The eyes of an experienced guru like Alauddin Khan had recognized the love for music hidden within you. He formally made you his disciple. He was associated for a long time with tabla players Ustad Allah Rakha Khan, Kishan Maharaj and sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. At the age of eighteen, she left dancing and started learning sitar.
Ravi Shankar was a follower of the traditional Indian style of music. Whenever his fingers moved on the sitar, the whole atmosphere would vibrate. He has made a remarkable contribution in making Indian music respectable on the international stage. He also gave powerful expression to many new and old musical compositions with his distinctive style.
Pandit Ravi Shankar gave his first program at the age of 10.
Pandit Ravi Shankar gave the first program in India in 1939.
He gave his first program outside the country in 1954 in the then Soviet Union and his first program in Europe in 1956.
After finishing his formal education in 1944, he moved to Mumbai and composed music for films.
In the mid-1960s he gave three memorable performances at the Monterey Pop Festival, the Concert for Bangladesh and the Woodstock Festival.
Ravi Shankar also composed music for ballet and films in India, Canada, Europe and America. These films also include ‘Charlie’, ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Apu Trilogy’. Apart from this, you have also created the magic of your music in many films.
Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film ‘Apu Trilogi’ was a much talked about film.
You also gave music in the Hindi film Anuradha.
Pandit Ravi Shankar also directed music for many films in his long musical career, including films by renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray and “Meera” directed by Gulzar.
Richard Attinborough’s film ‘Gandhi’ also had your melodious music.
You also gave music in many western films.
Heartfelt Ravi Shankar
In 1971, Ravi Shankar had collected money by organizing a program to help lakhs of refugees who had come to India from Bangladesh during the ‘Liberation War’. Ravi Shankar has made Hindustani music very rich in terms of ragas also. Although he has created many new ragas like Parameshwari, Kameshwari, Gangeshwari, Jogeshwari, Vairagi Todi, Kaushiktodi, Mohankauns, Rasiya, Manmanjari, Pancham etc., but his creation of Vairagi and Natbhairav ragas became the most popular. Hardly a day passes when some artist or the other does not sing and play these two ragas composed by him on the radio.
Initially, Pandit ji also toured the world in Jugalbandis with the famous American violinist Yehudi Menuhin. The great master of Tabla, Allah Rakha has also performed jugalbandhi with Pandit ji. In fact, it was in such jugalbandhis that he gave a new dimension to Indian instrumental music. Pandit ji has also written some important books about himself and himself during his long musical journey. Apart from ‘My Music My Life’, his book named ‘Ragmala’ has been published by a well-known publisher abroad.
Pandit Ravi Shankar has received 14 honorary doctorates from various universities.
Was a member of an organization of musicians under the United Nations.
Ravi Shankar has received three Grammy Awards.
He has also received Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and India’s highest honor Bharat Ratna.
Ravi Shankar is also given the credit for bringing Indian music, especially sitar playing, to the countries of the western world.
In 1968, his album East Meets West with Yehudi Menuhin won his first Grammy Award. Then in 1972, his ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ with ‘George Harrison’ was given a Grammy. Britain’s famous composer John McLaughlin and Brazil’s Gilberto Gil and Milton Nacimelto were also included in the competition along with Pandit Ravi Shankar in the world music category of the Grammy Award, considered the Oscar of the music world.
Rajya Sabha Honorary Member
He was also honored by being elected an honorary member of the Rajya Sabha in 1986. Was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. Sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar was one of the few musicians from India who remained popular in the West as well. Ravi Shankar continued to showcase his talent for many decades. He provided many voices for the ‘Welcome Song’ of the 1982 Delhi Asiad (Asian Games Festival). He has been honored many times in the country and abroad.
Pandit Ravi Shankar died at the age of 92. He breathed his last in a hospital in San Diego, America. Pandit Ravi Shankar was admitted to Skipps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla after complaining of breathing problems. He breathed his last on Tuesday 11 December 2012 at 4.30 pm local time. Condoling the demise of famous sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in a hospital in America, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that he was a national treasure. A message written by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on microblogging site Twitter said, ‘An era has come to an end with the demise of Pandit Ravi Shankar, along with me the entire country pays tribute to his talent, art and humility. ‘
