Ravi Shankar is a musician and composer. This is one of the most popular and influential figures of Indian culture. He made a great contribution to the popularization of the traditional music of his native country in the European community.
Childhood and youth
Ravi was born in Varanasi on April 2, 1920. He was brought up in a large family. Parents noticed their son's creative inclinations, so they sent him to the choreographic ensemble of his uncle Uday Shankar. The group toured not only in their native India. The ensemble has repeatedly visited European countries.
Ravi caught a frantic pleasure in dancing, but soon he was attracted to another art form - music. In the late 30s, he decided to learn to play the sitar. Allaudin Kan agreed to study with a gifted young man.
He quickly learned to play a musical instrument. Ravi even developed his own style of presentation of musical works. He caught himself thinking that most of all he liked improvisation. In the mid-40s, he composed his debut compositions.
The creative path and music of Ravi Shankar
The debut of the Ravi-sitarist took place at the end of the 30s in Allahabad. This is the first time he has performed as a solo musician. The young man was quickly noticed by representatives of the music industry. After that, he began to receive more tempting offers. In the mid-40s, he composed the musical accompaniment for the ballet Immortal India. The order came from the Communist Party.
In the late 40s he settled in Bombay. More and more Ravi begins to communicate with cultural figures. He composes musical accompaniment for ballet and opera, performs as a session musician in groups and tours regularly.
After writing the music for the ballet "The Discovery of India" - success hit Ravi. He literally wakes up as a famous composer. Soon he took the position of director of music programs. A year later, he became the head of the radio station All India Radio. Until the mid-50s, he worked on the radio.
In the mid-50s, Soviet music lovers got acquainted with the work of Shankar, and a couple of years later they knew about him in European countries and America. In his native country, Ravi's popularity was simply immense. He was adored and idolized. In 1956, the artist pleased with the release of a solo album. The album was called Three Ragas.
Popularity of Ravi Shankar
In the 60s of the last century, the peak of the popularity of Indian culture came. For Ravi, this situation meant one thing - his rating went through the roof. A member of the legendary Beatles, George Harrison, was among the admirers of Shankar's work. George became Ravi's student. In his musical works, he used Indian motifs. Some time later, Harrison took on the production of several LPs by the Indian composer.
At the end of the 60s, the maestro published his memoirs in English, My Music, My Life. Today, the presented composition is considered the best work that is dedicated to traditional Indian music. A couple of years later he published a second autobiography, edited by George Harrison.
In the mid-70s, the powerful LP Shankar family & friends premiered. The collection was greeted with a bang by the fans. On the wave of popularity, the maestro presents the collection Music Festival of India. He spent the following years at major festivals. In the early 80s, Ravi performed on stage at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
The composer's work is not only a classic. He advocated improvisation and enjoyed experimenting with sound. For a long creative career, he collaborated with various foreign artists. This often angered Indian fans, but certainly did not diminish the respect for the artist.
He was an educated and erudite person. Ravi has managed to gain recognition in the music arena. Several times he held the prestigious Grammy award in his hands, he also was the owner of 14 doctoral degrees.
Details of the artist's personal life
In the early 40s, he married the charming Annapurna Devi. A couple of years later, the family became more by one person - the wife gave birth to Ravi's heir. The wife also belonged to creative people. It soon became difficult for them to be under the same roof. But, Ravi and Annapurne did not part because of conflict situations. The fact is that the woman caught her husband cheating with the dancer Kamalov Shastri.
After the divorce, there was a lull on Ravi's personal front for some time. Soon the public learned about Shankar's affair with Sue Jones. At sunset in the 70s, the couple had a daughter. In 1986, fans became aware that Ravi had left a woman. As it turned out, he had a relationship on the side.
Sukanye Rajan - became the last love of the composer. The couple was in an open relationship for a long time, but soon the maestro proposed to the girl. In the 81st year of the last century, the couple had a daughter. All three of Ravi's daughters followed in their father's footsteps. They are making music.
Interesting facts about composer Ravi Shankar
- At the end of the 60s, he took part in the legendary Woodstock festival.
- In the 80s he gave concerts with Yehudi Menuhin himself.
- Harrison said about the composer's work: "Ravi is the father of world music."
- In the late 90s, he was awarded the most prestigious award in India, the Bharat Ratna Award.
- The composer's world career is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest in the world.
Death of a maestro
In the early 90s, the composer underwent heart surgery. Ravi installed a special valve that normalized the work of the heart. After the operation, he returned to active life. Doctors insisted that he leave the stage, but Ravi continued to give up to 40 concerts a year. The composer promised to retire in 2008, but despite this, he performed until 2011.
In December 2012, his condition deteriorated sharply. The musician began to complain that it was difficult for him to breathe. The doctors decided to repeat the operation. The goal of surgery is to re-replace the valve.
His heart could not survive the complex operation. He passed away at the age of 92. The memory of the Indian composer is preserved through his musical compositions, concert recordings and photographs published on the Internet.
