Pandit Ravi Shankar

Hindustani Sitar

Pandit Ravi Shankar

4 minute read

Pandit Ravi Shankar was born on April 7, 1920 in Varanasi and initially trained in dance before dedicating himself to music at age 18. He became a disciple of the legendary Ustad Allauddin Khan in Maihar, immersing himself in sitar, surbahar, and classical vocal and instrumental traditions. Emerging as a sitar virtuoso by the early 1940s, he became music director at All India Radio and soon began touring internationally, championing Hindustani classical music worldwide.

Shankar’s career was marked by global acclaim and groundbreaking cross-cultural collaborations. He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, in addition to a Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, multiple Grammys, and the Polar Music Prize. His collaborations included violinist Yehudi Menuhin—earning a Grammy for West Meets East—and Beatles guitarist George Harrison, who learned sitar under Shankar and helped integrate its sound into Western pop music. He also composed acclaimed film scores (Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy, Gandhi) and worked with Philip Glass, further pushing boundaries between East and West.

Shankar’s wider influence on Indian classical music was profound. He founded the Kinnara School of Music in Mumbai (and later Los Angeles), committing to the traditional guru‑shishya pedagogy. Among his distinguished students were Tarun Bhattacharya as well as his daughter Anoushka Shankar, who continues his legacy, as well as Western artists like John McLaughlin of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and George Harrison. He held academic positions at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other institutions, nurturing a global appreciation for ragas and inspiring countless musicians across genres. His blend of tradition and innovation cemented him as a cultural bridge and a transformative force in 20th‑century music.

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Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick | Director

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007, on 13th April, at the Phoenix Theatre Leicester. Musicians: - Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick (dhrupad) - Prashant Mallick (dhrupad) - Ravi Shankar Upadhyay (pakhawaj) - Debipriya Das & Gunwant Kaur (Tanpuras) Music Pieces: - Raag Shudh Sarang, Thaat: Kalyan, Samay: Late Morning; Alap Jod Jhalla and Dhamar - Raag Bhimpalasi, Thaat: Kafi, Samay: Afternoon; Bandish in Dhamar taal - Raag Bhimpalasi, Thaat: Kafi, Samay: Afternoon; Bandish in Sool taal Demonstrating a striking balance between melody and rhythm, Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick and his son Prashant Mallick present ragas Shudh Sarang and Bhimpalasi from the dhrupad tradition of the Darbhanga gharana. The gharana is based on the Gauhar vani syllable, representing pure melody and spontaneous laykari. Pandit Mallick and his son begin their recital with Raag Shudh Sarang, performing an expansive alap in the ‘been-ang’ (instrumental style), exposing the key phrases of the raga. In the lower octave, Ni is sufficiently projected as the ‘nyasa swara’ (resting note) from where, they dip further to Sa of the lower-most tetra-chord, demonstrating a magnificent grasp over vocal range. With smooth meends, they join the lower, middle and upper octaves, portraying a detailed and wide range of possibilities in the Shudh Sarang terrain. Pandit Mallick and his son touch the extreme upper octave during the jod, creating dramatic and robust gamaks in Shudh Sarang. The most spectacular part is the jhalla that consists of intricate, super-fast syllables performed with sparkling clarity. Ravi Shankar Upadhyay plays an engaging 12-beat cycle, perfectly blending with the lyrics of the composition and producing commendable improvisations. Proceeding to the next piece, Pandit Mallick and his son present an evocative composition in Raag Bhimpalasi set to a 14-beat cycle of Dhamar taal. Plunging deeper into this early evening melody, they deploy an array of breathtaking laykari using bol-banav, weaving the lyrics of the composition in an exciting variety of patterns. Preserving the best for the last, the duo performs another composition in the same raga. This traditional, age-old song from the Darbhanga gharana is set to Sool taal, a 10-beat cycle. The Sanskrit lyrics paint a vivid picture of Lord Shiva’s appearance and his fierce powers that are capable of destroying the universe in order to pave the path for a new world which is devoid of sufferings. In this performance, the Mallicks reveal the uplifting quality of their repertoire which is replete with dynamic use of swaras, stylised projection of syllables and stunning laykari.