Pandit Ravi Shankar is perhaps single-handedly responsible for creating an excitement and fascination for the Sitar in the west. In the west he is considered synonymous with almost the entire genre of Indian Classical music. This is a position he accomplished not only because of his brilliance as a musician but also with his sheer perseverance and hard work through which he succeeded in bringing Indian music to the world stage.

Panditji along with his daughter Anoushka and an ensemble featuring a host of other musicians performed to a packed hall at Symphony Hall in Boston on Sunday , Oct 2 , 2005. The first half of the concert featured an ensemble led by Anoushka Shankar. It included a range of north and south Indian instruments including the veena, violin, mridangam, tabla, shenoy, sarangi and morsing. The ensemble played many of the familiar pieces including  Vandana and  Natabhairavi Tarana . The final piece called Birah- Milan was a recent composition in Rag Yaman Kalyan. It was wonderful to hear a "Shenoy" interlude. There was a  seamless blending of the north and south Indian instruments.

After the intermission Panditji walked in and was welcomed with a thunderous applause. He and Anoushka delighted the audience with  traditional alaap jog  and Gat in Maru Bihag Raag and Rupak Taal..  Mishra Pilu followed and it was delightful. He was able supported by the superb percussion player, Tanmay Bose.

So what drew such a large crowd to Symphony hall ? “The reason we came is that if you want listen to Indian music the only place you can start is with Ravi Shankar. He is the only known name in Indian music” said a young woman who sat next to me at the concert. 

The greatness of Panditji lies in the fact that  despite being a superb musician he is able to create simple but fine compositions that can reach out to the novice listener while not compromising on the quality of music. He is successful in creating an ensemble that will appeal to the lay person while giving them access to the treasure trove of a fabulous classical tradition. That perhaps, more than anything, else is responsible for his success. Other musicians who would like to reach out to non-traditional audiences would do well to understand his technique.

At the end of his recital Panditji announced that despite the Boston Symphony Hall being such a wonderful music hall he would not play here again because they do not allow the burning of incense. On behalf of all Indian classical dancers and musicians I hope someone was listening so that we can do something to bring about a change and actually have the lamp lit and the incense burning in reverence to our Gods as we perform in every hall in the west.

It was an honor to listen to this legend and we hope he does come back to Boston and grace us with his presence.

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