Ravi Shankar Biography (1920-)

Original name, Rabendra Shankar; born April 7, 1920, in Benares, India; son of Shyama (an attorney) and Hemangini Shankar; married Annapurna Dvi Allauddin, May 1941 (divorced, 1958); married Sukanya Rajan, 1989; children: (first marriage) Shubendra, Geetalil; (second marriage) Anoushka (a sitarist); (with Sue Jones) Norah Jones (a singer). Addresses: Contact: c/o Sullivan Sweetland, 28 Albion St., London W2 2AX, England; 17 Warden Court, Gowalia TankRd., Bombay 36, India.

Nationality
Indian
Gender
Male
Occupation
Composer, musician, actor, director
Birth Details
April 7, 1920
Benares, India

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Stage Work
  • Musical supervisor, The Guide, Hudson Theatre, 1968
  • Film Work
  • Music performer, Aparajito (also known as The Unvanquished), Epic Aurora, 1959
  • Music performer, Pather Panchali (also known as The Lament of the Path, The Saga of the Road, and Song of the Road), Government/Edward Harrison, 1958
  • Music performer, Apur Sansar (also known as The World of Apu), Satyajit Ray/Edward Harrison, 1959
  • Performer of musical score, Dry Summer, Hitit/Manson, 1967
  • Original music performer and music director, Chappaqua, Rooks/Regional, 1967
  • Music performer, Genesis, Cactus, 1986
  • Music performer, Nuts, 1987
  • Director, Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein, 2002
  • Film Appearances
  • Mastera Indiiskogo iskusstva (also known as Indian Artists in the U.S.S.R.), 1954
  • Sun God, Chappaqua, 1966
  • Himself, Monterey Pop, 1968
  • Himself, Ravi Shankar, 1970
  • Himself, The Concert for Bangladesh, 1972
  • Himself, Ravi Shankar: Between Two Worlds, 2001
  • Himself, The Concert for George, 2003
  • Television Appearances
  • Miniseries
  • Himself, Rock & Roll, PBS, 1995
  • Specials
  • Unterwegs nach Kathmandu, 1971
  • The Night of Music: A Global Celebration, PBS, 1986
  • Menuhin: A Family Portrait, PBS, 1991
  • Stand and Be Counted, The Learning Channel, 2000
  • Episodic
  • Guest, The Hollywood Palace, 1967
  • Guest, American Bandstand, 1967
  • Guest, The Ed Sullivan Show, 1970
  • The Midnight Special, 1973, 1974, 1975
  • Himself, "Ravi Shankar," The South Bank Show, ITV, 2001
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • Ravi Shankar, India's Master Musician, World-Pacific, 1958
  • Improvisations, World-Pacific, 1962
  • Ravi Shankar, Portrait of a Genius, Angel, 1964
  • India's Master Musician: Ravi Shankar, EMI, 1964
  • Ragas and Talas, Angel, 1964
  • Menuhin Meets Shankar, Angel, 1966
  • The Sound of the Sitar, World-Pacific, BGO, 1966
  • The Sounds of India: Ravi Shankar, Columbia, 1966
  • Three Ragas, Capitol, 1966
  • Exotic Sitar and Sarod, Capitol, 1967
  • Ravi Shankar in San Francisco, World-Pacific, 1967
  • Ravi Shankar at the Monterey International Festival, Angel, 1967
  • Two Raga Moods, Capitol, 1967
  • West Meets East (two volumes), Angel, 1967
  • A Morning Raga, An Evening Raga, Angel, 1968
  • Chappaqua (soundtrack), Columbia, 1968
  • Charly (soundtrack), World-Pacific, 1968
  • Ravi Shankar in New York, World-Pacific, 1968
  • Ravi Shankar, Capitol, 1968
  • Six Ragas, Capitol, 1968
  • Ravi Shankar at the Woodstock Festival, World-Pacific, 1970
  • Raga (soundtrack), Apple, 1971
  • Shankar: Concerto #1 for Sitar and Orchestra, Angel, 1971
  • (With others) The Concert for Bangladesh, 1972
  • In Concert, Apple, 1972
  • Transmigration Macabre, Spark, 1973
  • Shankar Family and Friends, Dark Horse/A&M, 1974
  • Raga Parameshwari, Capitol, 1976
  • Ravi Shankar's Festival from India, Dark Horse/A&M, 1976
  • East Greets East, Deutsche Grammophon, 1978
  • Ragas Hameer and Gara, Deutsche Grammophon, 1979
  • Homage to Mahatma Ghandi and Baba Allauddin, Deutsche Grammophon,1981
  • Ghandi (soundtrack), RCA, 1982
  • Improvisations-East Meets West-Album 3, 1983
  • Raga Mishra Piloo, 1983
  • Inside the Kremlin, Private Music, 1989
  • (With Philip Glass) Passages, Private Music, 1990
  • (With others) The Tiger and the Brahmin, Kid Rhino, 1992
  • Farewell, My Friend, EMI India, 1992
  • Ravi Shankar, Deutsche Grammphon, 1993
  • In Celebration, Angel, 1995
  • Chants of India, Angel, 1997
  • Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000, Angel, 2002
  • WRITINGS
  • Film Scores
  • Neecha Nagar (also known as Lowly City), 1946
  • Dharti Ke Lal (also known as Children of the Earth), 1946
  • Kabuliwala, 1956
  • En Djungelsaga (also known as The Flute and the Arrow), 1957
  • A Chairy Tale (also known as Il etait une chaise), 1957
  • Pather Panchali (also known as The Lament of the Path, The Saga of the Road, and Song of the Road), Government/Edward Harrison, 1958
  • Parash Pathar (also known as Paras-Pathar and The Philosopher's Stone), 1958
  • The Sword and the Flute, 1959
  • Apur Sansar (also known as The World of Apu), Satyajit Ray/Edward Harrison, 1959
  • Aparajito (also known as The Unvanquished), Epic Aurora, 1959
  • Anduradha (also known as Love of Anuradha), 1960
  • Dheuer Pare Dheu (also known as Waves After Waves), 1962
  • Tarzan Goes to India, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962
  • The Psychedelics, 1966
  • Chappaqua, Rooks/Regional, 1967
  • My Music My Life, 1968
  • Charly, Selmur/Cinema Releasing Corp., 1968
  • Sex and the Animals, 1969
  • Meera, 1979
  • Pasi, 1980
  • (With George Fenton) Gandhi, Columbia, 1982
  • Genesis, Cactus, 1986
  • Zakir and His Friends, 1997
  • Ravi Shankar: Between Two Worlds, 2001
  • Partition, 2003
  • Also wrote scores for Chori, Chori; Anari; Dil Apna AurPreet Parai; Professor; Suraj; Brahmachari; Pehchan; Mera Naam Joker; and Be-Imaan.
  • Television Scores
  • Movies
  • Alice in Wonderland, 1967
  • Specials
  • Unterwegs nach Kathmandu, 1971
  • The Tiger and the Brahmin (animated), Showtime, 1991
  • Autobiographies
  • My Music, My Life, 1968
  • Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar, 1999
  • Also wrote Rag Anurag.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Schirmer, 2001
    • Contemporary Musicians, Volume 38, Gale Group, 2003
    • Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Volume 22, Gale Group,2002
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 4: Writers and Production Artists, St. James Press, 1996
    Periodicals
    • Billboard, March 18, 1995, p. 1; December 23, 1995, p. 17; May 3,1997, p. 11; June 28, 1997, p. 52; October 16, 1999, p. 13; March 17, 2001, p. 11
    • Down Beat, March, 2002, p. 44
    • New Statesman, March 21, 1997, p. 50; April 24, 2000, p. 47
    Electronic
    • Ravi Shankar Web Site, http://www.ravishankar.org, May 8, 2003