Ravi Shankar – Meaning & History of the name “Ravi.” Ravi means “sun” in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun.
Meaning, origin and history of the name Ravi – Behind the Name
George Harrison and Ravi Shankar
It sort of adds a little extra meaning to the 1969 recording of George Harrison’s “Here Come the Sun” about George perceptions of light and truth and his wish for enlightenment in the world. When George Harrison met Ravi Shankar in the mid sixties, there was a radical change in George’s philosophy of life and what he now deemed to be really important. Ravi Shankar’s influence on George was immeasurable, He exposed George Harrison to a form of musical expression that was centuries old yet was about to make huge waves in the relatively new field of popular/rock music. Due to Ravi Shankar’s influence on George and the Beatles music, Eastern music and philosophy received acceptance and interest in Western culture. Ravi became akin to being a surrogate “father figure” to George.
Ravi Shankar ws a master of the Indian stringed instrument known as the sitar. His approach to music was akin to the discipline exhibited by many classical music musicians in the West. To be an expert at your craft and musical instrument requires many years of dedication and hard work. There were many interviews with Ravi over the years where Ravi expressed an appreciation for popular music but you could also sense that he felt that popular music was clearly inferior to both classical music and classical Indian music as it was far more difficult to both learn and to play!
However, he was very smart in understanding that George’s immense popularity in pop music helped spread the word about his music, his talent and musical philosophy.
This book about Ravi’s life was first published in 1968.
In 2007, they issued a limited revised/updated edition of the book. Only 250 signed copies were issued of the limited edition. Presenting to you my copy of this edition which is copy #219 of 250.
Published by Mandala Publishing. This is the slipcase for the book:
This is the front cover of the book featuring a picture of Ravi Shankar as a young man:
Ravi’s signature in the book:
The limited edition features a beautiful signed print by photographer Michael Collopy. This is in my copy of the print. The photograph clearly exhibits the virtuoso’s dedication to his instrument, the music and his craft.
Copyright and publishing information about the limited edition:
The Table of Contents for this wonderful book:
Raga Mala
Another wonderful limited edition book about Ravi Shankar and his life entitled “Raga Mala” which was published by Genesis Publications in 1997. The Genesis editions that held the most interest to me were the ones directly having to do specifically with the Beatles.
As a result, I postponed getting the Shankar book much to my chagrin as prices for the book continued to rise, until I one day stumbled onto Ebay when a signed Genesis copy of the book was available for $100. It did not have all the extras of the Genesis issued book like the incense etc, but that did not bother me as the opportunity of buying the book at a greatly reduced price was there so I jumped at the chance. The book is an excellent recalling of Ravi’s life and is a true educational opportunity in understanding the life experiences that helped to hone Ravi’s dedication to his life’s work.
The front cover of the Genesis book:
The signature page of my copy of the Genesis Shankar title:
The copyright information to the Genesis book:
Ravi Shankar performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and the Beatles designed a wonderful print/poster for the event though they were not to appear at this historic concert. Years later they released a dvd of the Monterey Concert video and they issued a small book to accompany the dvd’s release which included the Beatles print on the cover.
The back cover of the small book which mentions Ravi:
An attempt to blend Eastern and Western musical styles released on Dark Horse Records:
I always loved the melody to this tune released on this LP written by Ravi Shankar:
I Am Missing You (2022 Remaster)
Producer: George Harrison Mixer: Paul Hicks Sound Engineer: Paul Hicks Composer: Ravi Shankar
The soundtrack to the movie “Raga” released on Apple. Both John Lennon and George Harrison went to view this film together in New York City. They actually met both going into the theater at the same time. George acknowledged this in his interview on the Dick Cavett show.
An LP that George Harrison helped Ravi to promote featuring “The Chants of India.” The LP was released on George Harrison’s Dark Horse label.
A live Ravi concert on Apple featuring Ravi and two other highly regarded Indian musicians:
Ravi asked George if he could do something to help the famine in Bangla Desh and George responded to his beloved friend’s request. This is the resulting LP of a truly historic concert which set the tone and pattern of all music benefit concerts to come:
Ravi Shankar’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival from 1967-saw this post on Youtube:
Ravi Shankar In Monterey Pop Festival 1967 | Alla Rakha | Full Concert | Rare HD – YouTube
Whether you enjoy or appreciate Indian music is your own personal choice. For example I prefer pop music, the good tune, a nice melody. However as an educational opportunity that does not mean that I cannot appreciate a different form of musical expression. I loved George Harrison’s adaptation of some of the Indian musical instruments and sounds to the Beatles catalog. Even if Ravi’s form of musical expression is not my favorite, that does not prevent me from admiring and appreciating its complexity and rigorous difficulty to play well.
Ravi Shankar was a master at his instrument and is respected worldwide for his many musical contributions. He was a positive influence on George and perhaps that was one of his greatest gifts to the world. Ravi Shankar lived to be in his 90’s and passed away in 2012. According to reports, he was at George’s side when he passed away in 2001.
In closing, is there a particular piece of Western pop music that was influenced directly by Indian music that is a favorite of yours. Please do not use a Beatles song in response to this question. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this post about these 2 special Ravi Shankar books.
Buzz
Biography
Biographical books about The Beatles or those associated with them
