Ravi Shankar
// composer & sitaristRAVI SHANKAR was a legendary virtuoso sitarist, composer, teacher, and writer. He was India’s most esteemed musical ambassador and a singular phenomenon whose artistry crosses all cultural and musical boundaries. Ravi Shankar’s extensive discography of more than sixty albums includes “In Celebration” (1996) available from Angel Records; a lavishly documented four-CD retrospective of his greatest recordings issued in honor of his 75th birthday. He was the author of three books, “Rag Anurag [In Bengali]” (1979), “Raga Mala: The Autobiography Of Ravi Shankar” (2001), and “My Music, My Life” (2007) available from Mandala Publishing.
Website: www.ravishankar.org
Photo: Vincent Limongelli / RaviShankar.org
Interview:
How does one put the spiritual significance of music on paper? Music transcends all languages and barriers and is the most beautiful communicative skill one can have. Music makes us all experience different emotions or the Navarasa as we call it. Different types of music, whether it is vocal or instrumental, Eastern or Western, Classical or Pop or Folk from any part of the world, can all be spiritual if it has the power to stir the soul of a person and transcend time for the moment. It makes one get gooseflesh in the body and mind, and equates the highest mental orgasm and the release of grateful tears!
“Music transcends all languages and barriers and is the most beautiful communicative skill one can have.”
– Ravi Shankar, composer and sitarist
