Ravi Shankar: The Sitar That Crossed the World
A Musician Between Two Worlds
Ravi Shankar (1920–2012) was the sitar virtuoso and composer who, more than any other figure, introduced the intricate art of Indian classical music to a global audience. Born in Varanasi, he began his career not as an instrumentalist but as a dancer in the touring troupe of his elder brother, Uday Shankar. In his late teens he abandoned the stage to devote himself to the sitar, studying for years under the demanding master Allauddin Khan in a traditional guru-disciple apprenticeship.
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Shankar became one of the supreme exponents of the raga, the melodic framework at the heart of Hindustani classical music, prized for the depth of his improvisation and the precision of his rhythmic interplay with the tabla. As music director of All India Radio and through tireless international touring, he expanded the audience for a tradition that had long been confined to the Indian subcontinent.
The Bridge to the West
In the 1960s Shankar became a global phenomenon. His friendship with Beatle George Harrison, whom he tutored on the sitar, helped spark Western fascination with Indian music. He performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, and his appearance at the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh — the pioneering benefit concert he helped inspire — reached millions. He collaborated with the violinist Yehudi Menuhin on the acclaimed "West Meets East" recordings and composed for film, including Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy.
Legacy
Shankar won multiple Grammy Awards and was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1999. He passed his art to a new generation, including his daughter Anoushka Shankar, herself a celebrated sitarist. (His daughter Norah Jones became a Grammy-winning singer.) When he died in 2012, he was mourned as the artist who had made the sounds of India a permanent part of the world's musical vocabulary.
Achievements
- Brought Indian classical music to Western audiences through landmark performances and recordings
- Mentored Beatle George Harrison and performed at Monterey, Woodstock, and the Concert for Bangladesh
- Awarded multiple Grammy Awards and India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna (1999)
