On the life and works of Ustad Vilayat Khan, Indian sitar player.

One of Library Journal's "Best Arts Books of 2020" The definitive biography of Ravi Shankar, one of the most influential musicians and composers of the twentieth century, told with the cooperation of his estate, family, and friends For over eight decades, Ravi Shankar was India's greatest cultural ambassador. He was a groundbreaking performer and composer of Indian classical music, who brought the music and rich culture of India to the world's leading concert halls and festivals, charting the map for those who followed in his footsteps. Renowned for playing Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and the Concert for Bangladesh-and for teaching George Harrison of The Beatles how to play the sitar-Shankar reshaped the musical landscape of the 1960s across pop, jazz, and classical music, and composed unforgettable scores for movies like Pather Panchali and Gandhi. In Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar, writer Oliver Craske presents readers with the first full portrait of this legendary figure, revealing the personal and professional story of a musician who influenced-and continues to influence-countless artists. Craske paints a vivid picture of a captivating, restless workaholic-from his lonely and traumatic childhood in Varanasi to his youthful stardom in his brother's dance troupe, from his intensive study of the sitar to his revival of India's national music scene. Shankar's musical influence spread across both genres and generations, and he developed close friendships with John Coltrane, Philip Glass, Yehudi Menuhin, George Harrison, and Benjamin Britten, among many others. For ninety-two years, Shankar lived an endlessly colorful and creative life, a life defined by musical, emotional, and spiritual quests-and his legacy lives on. Benefiting from unprecedented access to Shankar's archives, and drawing on new interviews with over 130 subjects-including his second wife and both of his daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar- Indian Sun gives readers unparalleled insight into a man who transformed modern music as we know it today.

The Present Book Is Primarily A Biographical Work With An In-Depth Study Of The Life And Contribution Of Legendary Musician Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan (Vocal) Of The Agra Gharana. It Is Rich With Varied Flavour. The Musicological Elements Consist Of A Brief But Analytical Study Of The Evolution Of Music, Gharana System, Styles And The Agra Gharana With Its Hierarchy. It Contains A Good Number Of Precious Bandishes Composed By Ustadjee With Their Detail Notations. Besides, A Detailed Analysis Of The Ragas Composed By Him And A Comparison With The Conventional Ragas Further Adds To The Value Of The Book. The Book Is Undoubtedly A Valuable Asset For The Students And Researchers Of Music, Musicians, Musicologists, And Music Lovers.

Brings Together The Shehnai, Benaras And The Ustaad To Present Them As A Unified Entities - Brings Forth The True Character Of Indian Music And Musicians, Showing That Indian Classical Music Is A Way Of Life And Unparalled Spiritual Experience. 8 Chapters - Appendix - Geneology - Glossary - Index. Without Dustjacket.

For practitioners and enthusiasts of Indian Classical Music, compositions for string instruments - Sitar, Sarod and Vichitra Veena - are hard to find. For the first time, 8 raga-s have been documented and presented in an easy to read and play notation system: Ome Swarlipi. A treasure trove of compositions, tana-s and toda-s for raga-s such as Yaman, Des, Khamaja, Bihaga, and Kafi, this book brings Misrabani style, one especially suited to string instruments, to the English-speaking world in a universal script which address the limitations of traditional Indian music notation systems.

"With growing interest in North Indian classical music, both in India and abroad, in spite of several books on specific topics which have appeared in recent times, there is a need for comprehensive reference book in English which will give adequate and pre"