Ravi Shankar (7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar virtuoso and composer who did more than anyone to bring Indian classical music to the West. His collaborations with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and with George Harrison of the Beatles, and his performances at Monterey and Woodstock, made him a global icon. He won several Grammy Awards and received the Bharat Ratna in 1999.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury |
| Born | 7 April 1920, Benares (now Varanasi), India |
| Died | 11 December 2012, San Diego, California, USA (aged 92) |
| Instrument | Sitar |
| Guru | Ustad Allauddin Khan |
| Brother | Uday Shankar (dancer) |
| Daughters | Anoushka Shankar (sitarist), Norah Jones (singer) |
| Honours | Bharat Ratna (1999), several Grammy Awards |
Early Life
Ravi Shankar was born in Varanasi into a Bengali family. As a boy he joined his elder brother Uday Shankar’s dance troupe in Paris and toured Europe and the United States. At 18 he gave up dance to study the sitar under Ustad Allauddin Khan at Maihar. He trained rigorously for about seven years and married his teacher’s daughter, Annapurna Devi.
Career
Shankar became music director of All India Radio in Delhi in 1949. He composed the music for Satyajit Ray‘s Apu Trilogy and set the popular tune of “Saare Jahan Se Achha”.
From the mid-1950s Shankar toured Europe and America. His albums with Yehudi Menuhin, including West Meets East, won a Grammy. George Harrison became his student in 1966, sparking a craze for the sitar in Western pop music. Shankar played at the Monterey Pop Festival (1967) and Woodstock (1969). With Harrison he organised the Concert for Bangladesh (1971), the first major benefit rock concert. He also composed concertos for sitar and orchestra and worked with Philip Glass.
Personal Life and Death
Shankar and Annapurna Devi had a son, Shubhendra, and their marriage later ended in divorce. He also had two daughters from later relationships, the sitarist Anoushka Shankar and the Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones. He married Sukanya Rajan in 1989. He was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. He died in San Diego on 11 December 2012, aged 92.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Ravi Shankar born?
Ravi Shankar was born on 7 April 1920 in Benares (now Varanasi), India.
When did Ravi Shankar die?
Died: 11 December 2012, San Diego, California, USA (aged 92).
What honours has Ravi Shankar received?
Bharat Ratna (1999), several Grammy Awards.
