DISCOGRAPHY
To celebrate this body of music, we have chosen the shared birthday month of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan (b. 7th April, 1920 and 14th April, 1922, respectively) to release the first two albums.
IN CONCERT 1972
Ravi Shankar (sitar) & Ali Akbar Khan (sarod) with Alla Rakha (tabla)
Stream or download
Digital Track List:
- Raga Hem Bihag – 25:18
- Raga Manj Khamaj – 51:01
- Raga Sindhi Bhairavi – 26:18
In Concert 1972 was originally released via Apple Records in 1973, with a headline that stated "Within the small community of Brilliantly Gifted Musicians there exists an even smaller world of Masters. Two of these masters recently joined together in concert ...". The album features two of Indian Classical music's greatest artists at the height of their powers, the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and master of the sarod, Ali Akbar Khan.
The album captures the live recordings from a performance that took place at New York City's Philharmonic Hall on 8th October, 1972, and was mixed and edited by George Harrison (with Zakir Hussain and Phil McDonald). Featuring tabla accompaniment by the great Alla Rakha, this mesmerising concert comprises three ragas played in the jugalbandi style (or a duet played by two solo musicians), and became a poignant tribute their guru of both soloists (and the father of Ali Akbar) the great Allauddin Khan who had died but a month previously.
Critical Praise
"This is the living, fire-breathing embodiment of one of the greatest partnerships ever forged in Hindustani (Northern Indian) classical music... Two musicians pouring their hearts out for their guru: that is the most succinct description of this sometimes smouldering, sometimes fiery, masterpiece."
Gramophone Magazine
"This wonderful recording comes from a show at New York's Philharmonic Hall with a dream team: Ali Akbar Khan on sarod and Alla Rakha on tabla. One of the three pieces, 'Raga – Manj Khamaj,' totals almost an hour, enabling you to get much closer than on most Shankar albums of the period, to the natural extension and patient exploration of an Indian classical-music evening."
Rolling Stone
Chants of India
By Ravi Shankar and produced by George Harrison
Translations | Stream or download
Digital Track List:
All songs are traditional, arranged by Ravi Shankar, except where indicated.
- Vandanaa Trayee – 4:32
- Omkaaraaya Namaha – 1:53
- Vedic Chanting One – 3:12
- Asato Maa – 7:12
- Sahanaa Vavavtu – 4:26
- Poornamadah – 1:28
- Gaayatri – 3:26
- Mahaa Mrityunjaya – 4:43
- Veenaa-Murali – 3:36
- Geetaa – 2:13
- Managalam (original composition by Shankar, Dr Nandakumara) – 4:03
- Hari Om (original composition by Shankar) – 2:57
- Svara Mantra (original composition by Shankar) – 4:34
- Vedic Chanting Two – 2:13
- Prabhujee (original composition by Shankar) – 8:06
- Sarve Shaam – 5:09
Chants of India by Ravi Shankar and produced by George Harrison was originally released in 1997 on Angel Records. Recorded in Madras, India, and Henley-on-Thames, UK, this collaboration was referred to by Shankar as "one of the most difficult challenges in my life, as a composer and arranger", and draws upon the sacred Sanskrit texts of the Vedas, Upanishads and other scriptures. According to Raviji, "The repetitive use of mantras invoke a special power within oneself and I have tried to imbibe this age-old tradition in this recording.... into which I have poured my heart and soul".
Critical Praise
"Perhaps the very best introduction to the enduring creative friendship between the Bengali classical master and the scruff from Liverpool's back streets"
Mojo
"'Chants of India' represents a creative milestone in the life of a veteran artist whose contributions to traditional Indian music cannot be overestimated."
Billboard
"Shankar took Hindu prayers, mantras and scriptural texts and framed them within larger musical settings, incorporating both Indian and European instruments along with voices. The results are transporting – and very beautiful."
NPR Music