RAVI SHANKAR | RAGA: A FILM JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF INDIA
Originally released in 1971, Raga: A Journey into the Soul of India documents the life of sitar master Ravi Shankar in the late 1960s and early 1970s, following him on his return to India to revisit his guru, Bengali multi-instrumentalist and composer, Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan. It further explores Shankar’s life as a musician and teacher in the United States and Europe, initiating those in the West to the exceptional world that is Indian classical music and culture. Through rare and candid footage shot in both India and the United States, Raga sheds light on Shankar’s influences and collaborations, from Allauddin Khan to his famed dancer brother Uday Shankar, to his associations with Western musicians Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. Fully narrated by Shankar himself, Raga reveals music as the soul of India and of Shankar’s life. The premiere DVD release of Raga features a digitally re-mastered 35mm print optimized to modern color range resolution and standard and a fully re-mastered audio
soundtrack.
Release Date: 10/14/2010
Produced by East Meets West Music, Inc.
Directed by Howard Worth
Written by Nancy Bacal
Originally produced by Ravi Shankar and Released by George Harrison/Apple Films.
DVD Cover Image by Yousuf Karsh © the Yousuf Karsh Estate
NTSC
Duration: 97 minutes
Extras: free digital download soundtrack card
RAVI SHANKAR | RAGA SOUNDTRACK
The digitally available soundtrack to the premiere DVD release of Raga: A Journey into the Soul of India features the live performances captured whiledocumenting the life of sitar master Ravi Shankar in the late 1960s and early 1970s, following him on his return to India to revisit his guru, Bengali multi-instrumentalist and composer, Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan. This soundtrack, fully remastered from the original 1/4" reel to reel tapes, illustrates the truly exceptional range of Indian classical music and Shankar's pre-eminence as a composer. Vedic Hymns celebrates traditional vedic chants conducted by Shankar and performed by temple priests; Baba Teaching allows the listener a glimpse into Shankar's lessons with his guru Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan and is contrasted with Vinus House which captures Shankar in a compositional moment with his own students; Birth to Death offers a unique entry into the sounds of the shahnai (an oboe-like reed instrument) as played at Indian ritual ceremonies; the three tracks The Spirit of the Raga, What is a Raga?, and The Seriousness of It feature narration extras by Ravi Shankar himself; and the track, Raga Desh, delivers a stunning live performance expressing the thrill of improvisation that is the heart of Indian classical music.
Release date: 10/14/2010
The soundtrack is available free via digital download card with purchase of the DVD or purchased separately at all digital retailers.
Track Listing
1. East/West Introductions (Raga Soundtrack)
2. Dawn To Dusk (Raga Soundtrack)
3. Vedic Hymns (Raga Soundtrack)
4. Baba Teaching (Raga Soundtrack)
5. Birth To Death (Raga Soundtrack)
6. Vinus House (Raga Soundtrack)
7. Gurur Bramha (Raga Soundtrack)
8. United Nations (Raga Soundtrack)
9. Medley: Raga Parameshwari & Raga Rangeshwari (Raga Soundtrack)
10. Banaras Ghat (Raga Soundtrack)
11. Bombay Studio (Raga Soundtrack)
12. Kinnara School (Raga Soundtrack)
13. Frenzy and Distortion (Raga Soundtrack)
14. Raga Desh (Raga Soundtrack)
15. The Spirit of the Raga (Raga Soundtrack)
16. What Is A Raga? (Raga Soundtrack
17. The Seriousness of It (Raga Soundtrack)
RAVI SHANKAR | NINE DECADES VOLUME 1 (1967 - 1968)
Raga Gangeshwari, the centerpiece of Volume 1, takes listeners to an outdoor concert at a temple on the banks of the Ganges in 1968. Though recorded with one hand-held microphone, Raga Gangeshwari is representative of the archive's many treasures, which the artist describes in his liner notes as "not recorded with sophisticated audio equipment and yet they exhibit the power of life in live performance that has a value beyond any technological shortcomings." The intimate quality of the recording and virtuosic playing allows listeners to experience a page from the artist’s diary circa 1968. Raga Gangeshwari is performed with Kamala Chakravarty on tanpura and the great Ustad Alla Rakha on tabla. Also featured on this volume is Vedic chanting by temple priests, as well as audience reactions to an early performance in the West. Nine Decades: Volume 1 CD release was on April 13, 2010, coinciding with Ravi’s 90th birthday month. It is available digitally via all major online retailers, on CD, and on limited edition vinyl, released April 21, 2010.
RAVI SHANKAR | THE NINE DECADES SERIES
The Nine Decades series features rare and never-before released recordings hand-picked by Ravi Shankar from his vast archive and lovingly remastered for optimal listening experience. With live performances and studio recordings pivotal to his development as an artist and reflective of unique times and places, the Nine Decades series provides insightful perspective on a career that spans 70-plus years and offers a direct bridge between the artist himself and his listeners.
UPCOMING
In addition to being the exclusive label for Ravi, EMWMusic will also be releasing the work of artists which Ravi and Anoushka support, work with, and admire; bringing you music that continues the sitar master’s vibrant tradition of exploring new musical terrains.