USA/ UNITED KINGDOM/ INDIA: EX-BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON AND INDIAN MUSICIAN RAVI SHANKAR SPEAK ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM

Record ID: 387036

  • Title: USA/ UNITED KINGDOM/ INDIA: EX-BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON AND INDIAN MUSICIAN RAVI SHANKAR SPEAK ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM
  • Date: 16th May 1997
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 16, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) SHANKAR ( SOUNDBITE ENGLISH ) SAYING I FELT IT WAS MY DUTY ALMOST TO BRING IT (INDIAN MUSIC) TO THE WEST AND MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND THE GREATNESS OF OUR MUSIC. AND THAT'S HOW I STARTED IN 1956 TEN YEARS BEFORE I MET GEORGE AND I WAS ALREADY PERFORMING ALL OVER EUROPE. BUT IT WAS MORE OR LESS LIKE A CLAS
  • Embargoed: 31st May 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES/ HENLEY-ON-THAMES, ENGLAND, UK/ UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, INDIA
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA6XUQHPJ34DF3VKM747F7NLF14
  • Story Text: Ex-Beatle George Harrision and Indian musician Ravi Shankar have teamed up for a new album "Chants of India".

    Based on ancient mantras which originated in Shankar's homeland, the record features 16 tracks recorded last year in Madras, India and during sessions in Harrison's London studios.

    Much of the music consists of Sanskrit texts intoned over a bed of strings, percussion and a blend of other eastern and western instruments.

    Harrison first tuned into Vedic chants during his trips to India in the '60's.

    He said he saw the album as not just a chance to work with his longtime friend Shankar, but an opportunity to experiment with the transcendential.

    "It is a spiritual experience, but it's all down to the individual. What you can manifest within yourself as to the value of anything", Harrison said. "The whole of life should be a spiritual experience becasue we are spirits, just encased in bodies", he added.

    The relationship between Harrison and Shankar os very close - Harrison once described Shankar as the "godfather of world music" and sees him as a kind of father figure, while Shankar in return refers to Harrison as "my son".

    Shankar is known the world over as the Indian master of sitar.

    He met Harrison in 1966 when he was introduced to all four of the Beatles by a friend.

    Harrison asked Shankar to teach him the Sitar and the friendship grew from there.

    Shankar said he was surprised when Indian music really took off in worldwide popularity after Harrision became involved.

    "Before I met George I was already performing all over Europe," Shankar said. "But it was something else when George and I got connected in '66. It was like wildfire and all the younger generation rediscovered me and it was something which I couldn't believe what was happening.

    The new album features a vast array of session musicians and vocalists including Harrison, tabla player Bikram Ghosh and Shankar's 15-year-old daughter Anoushka, who is credited as Assistant and Conductor.

    As well as producing the album, Harrison lends his voice to the chorus and plays acoustic guitar, bass guitar, Autoharp and Glockenspiel.
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