Thursday, November 17, 2011

Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar is an Indian musician and composer best known for his success in popularizing the sitar. Shankar grew up studying music and toured as a member of his brother's dance troupe. After serving as the director of All-India Radio he began to tour India and the U.S., winning three Grammy Awards and collaborating with many notable American musicians including George Harrison and Philip Glass.

Profile
Ravi Shankar(born April 7, 1920, Benares, India) Indian sitar player. He studied music and dance, toured as a member of his brother Uday's dance troupe, and spent years learning the sitar. After serving as music director of All-India Radio (1948–56), he began a series of European and U.S. tours. He wrote the score for Satyajit Ray's Apu film trilogy (1955–59). He was a founder of the National Orchestra of India, and in 1962 he founded the Kinnara School of Music in Bombay (now Mumbai) and later in Los Angeles. His performances with Yehudi Menuhin and his association with George Harrison of the Beatles were primarily responsible for bringing Indian music to a broad Western audience.

From : www.biography.com