And the Sitar Gently Weeps
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A Publication of the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. January 1, 2013 I India RevieI w Vol. 9 Issue 1 www.indianembassy.org Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, who took Indian classical music to the world, passed away on December 11. And the sitar gently weeps... n India, ASEAN n Call for ‘Second n Focus on energy upgrade ties Green Revolution’ exporting nations Cover STORY Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and daughter Anoushka Shankar during a performance at The Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata on February 7, 2009. (Photo: AFP) And the sitar gently weeps ... ‘Godfather of world music’ Pandit Ravi Shankar, who took Indian classical music to the world, leaves behind an unparalleled legacy of commitment to his art e was a classical musician complications from a heart surgery, students who trained at the Ravi in the purest sense and leaves behind his wife Sukanya and Shankar Foundation in the U.S. and was also dubbed the ‘god - daughters Anoushka, the heir to his in the national capital, where he had H father of world music’ by legacy, and singer Norah Jones. built a gurukul-like school. Shankar 2 Beatles friend George Harrison. Ravi “God has blessed me with Lakshmi spent his early years touring Europe Shankar, who took Indian classical and Saraswati,” he would often say of and India with Uday Shankar. But he music to the world in the 1950s and his daughters. took to instrumental music in 1934 effortlessly bound two worlds with the The dancer-turned-instrumentalist and studied for 10 years under his stirring notes of his sitar, leaves behind was born Robindro Shaunkar mentor. Before embarking on a for - an unparalleled legacy of commitment Chowdhury on April 7, 1920 in mal musical career, Shankar worked to his art. Varanasi. He gave up dancing in his as a composer setting the score for India's most effective cultural illustrious brother Uday Shankar’s Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy. ambassador, who died on December troupe in 1938 to study music under Later, with George Fenton, he 11 at the age of 92 in a hospital near Allaudin Khan — bequeathing his art shared the Oscar for the music of the his south California home following to daughter Anoushka and legions of epic Gandhi that released in 1982. In January 2013 India Review Cover STORY Ravi Shankar was a national treasure: PM andit Ravi Shankar was a global “I pray that Pandit Ravi Shankar’s soul ambassador of India’s cultural heritage finds eternal peace and that (his) family Pand a national treasure, Prime Minister members be granted the strength and forti - Dr. Manmohan Singh said in New Delhi on tude to bear this loss,” he added. December 12 while condoling the death of In his condolence message, the External the sitar maestro in a San Diego hospital. Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid described “An era has passed away with Pandit Ravi Pandit Ravi Shankar as one of the foremost 3 Shankar. The nation joins me to pay tributes to exponents of India’s classical music tradition this unsurpassable genius, his art and his and praised his capacity to bridge cultures humility, a national treasure and global ambas - and make India’s ancient tradition accessible sador of India’s cultural heritage,” the Prime to the world. Minister’s Office (PMO) said in its message. Ambassador Nirupama Rao visited “India has lost an eminent son, the world of Encinitas, California to convey her deep condo - sitar has lost one of its ablest exponents ever lences to Sukanya Shankar and Pandit Ravi and a shining light in the firmament of music Shankar’s two daughters Norah Jones and has been extinguished,” added the message. Anoushka Shankar on December 15. “The nation was fortunate not only to be Consul General of India in San Francisco able to enjoy his music, but also to have him N. Parthasarthi attended the memorial service as one of its most effective cultural convened in Encinitas and presented flowers ambassadors across the world. His human - contacts that served the world of music and on behalf of the people and the Government of ism, combined with his musical genius, benefited humanity at large,” the Prime India as a mark of tribute to the life and lega - helped him in building cross-civilizational Minister said in his message. cy of Pandit Ravi Shankar on December 20. the same year, he composed the Orchestra under Andre Previn. ‘Swagatam’ welcome song for the As music director of All India Radio A man of numerous ninth Asian Games. (1949-56), Shankar composed the awards, recognitions The mid-1950s were the key to classical version of ‘Saare Jahan Shankar’s contribution to making Accha’ that was sung by Lata Some achievements of the iconic musician: Indian classical music a world genre. Mangeshkar. He was awarded India’s In 1956, Ravi Shankar crossed the highest civil honor Bharat Ratna in l He received the Padma Bhushan in 1967, Padma Vibhushan in 1981 and seas with his music to Europe and 1999 and won three Grammy Awards. Bharat Ratna in 1999. US. Throughout the sixties and for Shankar was nominated for anoth - l He is also a three-time Grammy award the better part of the seventies, he er Grammy for 2013, the news of winner. He bagged a nomination again taught abroad and collaborated with which reached him just a day before for the 2013 Grammy Awards for his legends like Yehudi Menuhin and his surgery. album ‘The Living Room Sessions Part-1’. Beatles star George Harrison, who Performer till the very end, he was l He was named a Lifetime Achievement drew from Shankar’s ragas for his last seen on stage on November 4, Grammy Award recipient, a day after repertoire, most famously in 2012 in Long Beach when he played his death at 92 in a U.S. hospital. l He shared an Oscar with George ‘Norwegian Wood’. with Anoushka. Fenton for the original musical score Harrison produced and participat - He was also nominated to the for the 1982 movie Gandhi . ed in two record albums, ‘Shankar Rajya Sabha between 1986 and l He received the Music Council UNESCO Family & Friends’ and ‘Festival of 1992. award in the year 1975. India’; both composed by Shankar. “How does one put the spiritual sig - l He received the Kalidas Samman from Shankar also played in the epic nificance of music on paper? Music the government of Madhya Pradesh for concert Woodstock, performing after transcends all barriers and is one of the 1987-88 and the Ramon Magsaysay Joan Baez. The maestro was perhaps most beautiful communicative skills Award in 1992. l In 2001, Shankar was made Honorary the first musician to write a concerti one can have. Music makes us all expe - Knight Commander of the Order of the for sitar and orchestra — ‘Concerto rience different emotions or the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for for Sitar and Orchestra’ which was navarasa as well call it,” the maestro his “services to music”. performed by the London Symphony would often say about his music. January 2013 India Review India-ASEAN SUMMIT Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a group photograph with the Heads of State/Government, at the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit, 2012, in New Delhi on December 20. (Photo: AFP) India, ASEAN upgrade ties to strategic plane Leaders of India and ASEAN countries agreed to work toward intensification of trade and investments, closer security cooperation and enhanced physical and cultural connectivity at the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in New Delhi nveiling the vision of a strategic partnership,” said the vision “Our shared values, convergent resurgent and integrated document which was unanimously world views and similarities in Asia, India and the adopted by the leaders of India and approaches to the region should help U 10-nation ASEAN on ASEAN countries at the end of the ple - us make the India-ASEAN relationship December 20 declared the conclusion nary session of the India-ASEAN more comprehensive and elevate it to a of negotiations on a Free Trade Commemorative Summit. Strategic Partnership for the next Agreement (FTA) in services and The leaders agreed to work toward decade and beyond.” investments and upgraded their ties to “the full, effective and timely imple - The focus was clearly on scaling up a strategic partnership that includes mentation of the ASEAN-India dia - economic ties to new heights, with the 4 closer cooperation in political, eco - logue relations across the whole spec - leaders airing their collective confi - nomic and security areas. trum of political and security, eco - dence to achieve $100 billion bilateral Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan nomic, social and development coop - trade by 2015. Currently, trade Singh held wide-ranging talks with eration.” Placing the strategic part - between India and ASEAN is around leaders of 10 Association of Southeast nership in context, Prime Minister $80 billion. Asian Nations (ASEAN) that included Singh said: “This is a time of great The showpiece of the summit was intensification of trade and invest - flux and transition, with several the formal declaration of the successful ments, closer security cooperation and unsettled questions and unresolved conclusion of negotiations on a Free enhanced physical and cultural con - issues in our region. Our responsibil - Trade Agreement in services and nectivity. “We declare that the ASEAN- ity to work for peace has increased investments. India partnership stands elevated to a and become more urgent.” Addressing the plenary of the January 2013 India Review India-ASEAN SUMMIT Car rally symbol of ASEAN-India partnership: Prime Minister fter travelling nearly 8,000 km through nine countries, the ASEAN-India car Arally was flagged in by Prime Minister Dr.