Many years ago, a young girl, all of 10 years old, heard the sound of the sitar that moved her to tears.. her life’s dream was to some day sit in a live concert and hear this sitar player who ever he was, play face to face..just that..no more no less…she did not even know what he looked like because it was a recording on her father’s tape deck.. just to see him live…one time..
The sitar player was Ravi Shankar, the little girl was me. Many years later, in the United States, that dream came true, and many concerts later, getting to know the legendary Sitar maestro, his beautiful wife Sukanya and their immensely talented daughter Anoushka has been an enriching and heart warming experience in more ways than one.
When I ask those who love the man and his music, how would they define Ravi Shankar, its interesting that no one limits themselves to just “a great musician”. People always talk about his brilliant intellect, his childlike curiosity about everything, and his immaculate stage presence-and of course they all talk about his ethereal good looks.
Last year when he returned to perform after battling a life threatening illness, I remember sitting nervously in the audience, wondering how he would manage. When he had walked on to the stage, he looked frail. And I think what I wrote last year still holds true and that is the fact that music is the single most important thing in Ravi Shankar’s life. He looks the happiest when he is performing, and it speaks volumes about him both as a musician and as a person to see the love that is showered upon him at each concert he plays-to this day.
I personally think that some divine energy takes over Ravi ji’s fingers when he starts playing.
A year and a half later, at 88 years young, what amazes me is the fact that not only is he still playing, but that on stage he remains a show stealer. Today he doesn’t sit down in the traditional pose. A small settee is placed and he sat on it, with his legs hanging down on the floor, a special sitar had been created for the performance. Just to change your posture can mean a totally different kind of pressure on your fingers.
That night he looked handsome, healthy and his voice was strong and self assured. The kind of applause he receives each time he walks on stage is what dreams are made of. The auditorium was packed and this time it was really nice not just to see a huge fusion of Indians and non Indians, but a lot of young children in the audience.
The concert had the most entertaining beginning when Ravi Shankar said he was going to play Maru Bihag and went ahead and described what exactly would be happening, which composition, how many beats, and so on, while Anoushka kept frantically trying to catch his attention. He stopped mid way and then said “ What?” and then smiled that cherubic smile and said-Oh I messed up..I made a big mistake,..Its going to be an early evening raga Madhuvanti.” The crowd that just loves everything about him started laughing-and he added without missing a beat(no pun intended) “its old age,” The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter, as positive energy enveloped the air in a warm embrace.
The last time taking his health into consideration, Anoushka had played the first half and Ravi ji had joined her in the second. But on the 19th October evening, at the gorgeous Kimmel Center, in Philadelphia, the maestro led from the beginning to the start, as he played Madhuvanti and then followed it in the second half with Manj Khamaj.. thumri style creating a raga mala and returning to where he began. Sprinkled throughout the segment were strains that brought back memories of his incomparable music from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Anuradha and the song Kaise din beetey Kaise beeti ratiyan piya jaane na to Jack and Jill went up the hill, that always gets the audience going. There were several beautiful segments with Anoushka and Tanmoy Bose that had every one enraptured. One rather vocal audience member kept going wah wah-awesome.. kya baat so loudly in our ears that I wanted to glare at him, but then you think these are people who are really appreciative and they are allowed an occasional irreverence towards the fellow audience members-because they revere the artist and his craft so deeply.
For me, each time I sit through a concert by Ravi ji, its going down memory lane. It was 2001 and I had requested an interview. It was granted except Ravi ji was in New York and I was in Atlanta. I did the interview and then grumbled that it wasn’t fair because I had been waiting to meet him in person, it seemed, forever. Anyone who grew up on a staple diet of Beatles as I had been thanks to my brothers had to know of the stellar musician who had been such a deep influence on George Harrison. Ravi ji said-“Well bless your heart, then make sure you meet me after the show.” And I did, and I also remember Sukanya’s beautiful face and the warmth with which she clasped my hand when Anoushka introduced me to her. Little was I to know then that it would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship that I cherish to this day.
Pandit Ravi Shankar with Anoushka onstage.
Anoushka just seems to get better and better every time I see her play. I remember her spontaneous, very infectious laughter, the first time I interviewed her and she was about 19. Her intelligence, and poise as well as her forthright manner, had impressed me then. Today as I know her better, I see such seamless possibilities for her multifaceted personality. It is wonderful to see that she has explored so much more beyond sitar, and that she has carved a niche for herself and created her own space. There is a maturity and a new ease with which she plays today and she had told me that she is much more comfortable in her skin now.
Tanmoy Bose, is not just an outstanding tabla player, his warmth and smiling face is something that hasn’t changed since I first met him in person almost 8 years ago.. It’s interesting to see how when all the musicians love each other and are in sync, music takes on a different dimension. Tanmoy is really such an integral part of the Shankar family and such a warm person to know. I think playing with the sitar maestro for long spells every year has honed his skills and his understanding of Anoushka’s music and Ravi ji’, makes everything look so perfectly balanced when they perform together.
As I sat watching Ravi ji play and Anoushka and Tanmoy Bose accompany him, I wondered if people who get dazzled by Ravi ji’s success or are envious of it, and those who complain about Sukanya being too tough, have ever realized the blood, sweat and tears that are such an integral part of an artist’s life who reaches any where, leave alone becomes a front runner in the art he represents?
How many people really know of Ravi ji’s ill health and how many odds he has had to beat. How many people know that he can’t hear from one ear for the longest possible time, that the day of the concert, a Sunday, his hearing aid broke and if it wasn’t for a kind physician who came in to fix things, things would have been tough.
But knowing Ravi Shankar, the man has music in every cell of his body and he would have played and played well no matter what the circumstances.
It’s also interesting to me that many Indians will ask me-why is he still playing? The non Indians on the other hand, are so grateful that they can still be fortunate enough to see those flashes of melodic brilliance when musicians half his age, are fading out.
Its also interesting that many musicians say this to me often-there are only two men in music who command a full house each time they play-Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. The rest can only hope…
Meeting Ravi ji backstage after the concert is always an interesting experience because you never know who may show up! His fans and Anoushka’s fans, friends and family across different cities in the US, are such a fascinating mix. So this time I met some very accomplished dancers, conductor Zubin Mehta’s son, Mervon Mehta, Kimmel Center VP of Programming and Education, who talked about how he had traveled with Ravi ji in 1999 and how Ravi ji was the first artist to be booked at the Kimmel center.
The belle of the ball is Ravi ji’s cute dog Suki, who often travels with him when the cat isn’t! She is so tuned into Ravi ji, that while she sat quietly in the front row as he played, listening to him, as soon as we went back stage, she started jumping around me wanting to play welcoming everyone except one man, who shall remain nameless but who barged his way in knowing very well that Ravi ji doesn’t think much of him because of the negative impact he has had on several musicians. Suki suddenly started growling and barking at him and would not let him complete his conversation with Ravi ji. She can instinctively sense who her master does not like. The moment the guy left, she was her usual self. Sukanya was telling me how just having her around and stroking her calms Ravi ji and lowers his blood pressure if he is not feeling well.
Sukanya is also one of the kindest people I know. I remember walking in and after giving me a warm hug she turned around and announced to every one-Please go to Kavita’s website and sign up to support Troy Davis, (a death row inmate whose case I have written so extensively about). Anoushka walked in and gave me a big hug and the first things she asked was also about Troy. Ravi ji signed a letter joining several other celebrities in asking for clemency for the inmate who has been incarcerated for close to 20 years for a murder he says he did not commit. I was touched because in all that was happening, the hordes of people all around Sukanya remembered about Troy. But then that is how she is-a deeply compassionate and loving woman who remains in the background and handles everything. I know that people have misunderstood her many times, but I have always found her intentions to be pure, and her first priority the well being of Ravi ji and Anoushka.
As I walk away into the night I realize that even if Ravi Shankar wasn’t the great artist that he is, I would still run to his concerts because rarely do I see such an outpouring of love that comes in endless waves, endless applause from the jam-packed audience in every concert. It is easy to earn the respect of a discerning audience for your talent but it takes a special man to evoke the kind of love that he does-and Sukanya Shankar, with her endless love, and devotion, has made sure this precious man remains amidst us in the best of health and spirits to continue to play such music at 88.. not too many musicians can do that even at half his age.
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