An exhibition dedicated to the world’s most famous sitar player and father of fusion music (World Music) between East and West, Ravi Shankar.
Ravi Shankar (Benares, British Raj, 7 April 1920 – San Diego, United States, 11 December 2012) was an Indian musician and composer known worldwide as a sitar virtuoso.
This exhibition revolves around the life, work and legacy of Ravi Shankar, the legendary virtuoso who changed the course of music by fusing the styles of Eastern and Western traditions, as well as Indian classical music and Western pop. His music was a universe apart that transcended languages and time; the important thing about music was that it moved the spirit.
The exhibition aims to be a tribute to Shankar and a journey to India, illustrated with photographs, his best albums, his famous ragas, the essence of his musical, aesthetic and vital thoughts, as well as his memoirs, videos and the screening of the documentaries: Raga by Howard Worth, L’extraordinaire leçon by Frédéric Le Clair, Ravi Shankar in concert and Between two worlds by Mark Kidel.
This retrospective exhibition sheds new light on his work, thanks to the exceptional participation of East Meets West Music Inc, his own record company, as well as the Ravi Shankar Foundation, directed by his widow Sukanya, and the testimony of his daughters: composer and sitar player Anoushka Shankar and American singer Norah Jones.
This unique tribute traces the milestones of his musical career spanning more than six decades. From his time as a teacher in the United States and Europe, introducing the West to Indian classical music and culture, to his influences and collaborations with Allauddin Khan (founder of the Maihar gharana of Indian classical music), his famous brother dancer Uday Shankar, and his partnerships with musicians of the calibre of Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and George Harrison.
Ravi Shankar is possibly the most renowned Indian instrumentalist and a pioneer in showing the world the power of the Indian classical music tradition, which was made possible not only by his association with The Beatles, but also by his personal charisma.
The exhibition, the first of its kind in Spain, culminates with unpublished notes from his diaries and correspondence.