The Sounds of India

Ravi Shankar

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 20, 1989)
• Original Release Date: 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000024SZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,302 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1960s classic is a perfect introduction not only to Ravi Shankar's brilliant work on the sitar, but also to classical Indian music in general. Shankar offers brief, informative explanations of Indian ragas, scales, rhythms, song structures, and time signatures to set the stage for each spiritual piece he, Chatur Lal (tabla), and N.C. Mullick (tamboura) perform. Though Western listeners may not be able intellectually to pinpoint the subtle purposes of the various ragas' rhythms and movements, unconsciously listeners will feel them vividly. For instance, the plodding tension created by the 2/3/2/3 rhythm in "Máru-Bihág" well reflects the raga's poetic metaphor of separated, longing lovers. The loose, playful improvisation on "Sindhi-Bhairavi" mirrors the passionate romance of lovers. Overall, classical Indian music is diverse and complex, but The Sounds of India simplifies it beautifully for those interested in exploring it and its greatest ambassador. --Karen Karleski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peerless introduction to non-Western music, October 21, 2000

By	Thomas E. Fry (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even in this supposedly digital age, all most Americans know about India beyond turbans and the Taj Majal is the sound of the sitar. I've never understood how anyone could hear this beautiful music and not want to learn more about it, and the tradition it comes from.

To me, classical Indian music has no equal as a source of solace and inspiration. It's impossible to give it a serious listen without closing your eyes and drifting off on a journey of imagination. It's truly an auditory narcotic: the mind simply refuses to be tied down.

It isn't just Indian, either, it's pan-Asian: the basic instruments come from ancient Persia; in the tremelos and melting notes of the lower range, one hears the echoes of a Moslem cantor. At the opposite end of the register, the plucked note progressions are reminiscent of Oriental lutes that float about like auditory calligraphy.

There are a few things that make it truly Indian, though: its origin as the artistic medium of religious expression at the intersection of all the Old World religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. It's the perfect melding of the eastern- and westernmost musical traditions of Asia. This is best realized not even in the sitar, but in the tambura, that never-ending, metallic, atonal drone in the background which performs roughly the same function that bass does in Western music. But while so much simpler in form -- every work is based on a single chord -- it's so much more in fact: it's eternal; it never changes. It's an auditory umbilical to antiquity.

In a world where lip-synching during a choreographed dance routine qualifies airheaded teenagers as "superstars," Shankar's reputation as "the Godfather of World Music" (George Harrison) is genuine. He is a visitor from another time, a thousand years ago, when one man could embody an enormous artistic tradition and a vast, ancient country.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction, but still music of the highest level, August 20, 2004

By	Matt Stephens (USA) - See all my reviews

This was the first recording of Indian music that I bought, not because I needed an introduction, but simply because it was the only decent CD of Indian music that my local record store had. Let me just say that I am so glad that I ran into this one. I don't usually like to buy albums with explanations of the music recorded by the artist; I find it much more revelatory to dive right into the real thing, and for that reason I almost didn't get this. But something told me to buy it, and once I put it on, I realized that it IS the real thing. Indian ragas are generally longer than the ones here, but Ravi manages to fit all the emotion and sincerity he puts into his 30-minute ragas into these ones as well. And I actually did learn some things from his mini-lessons.

There's not really any point in trying to describe the ragas on this album (or any other album). They're so complex and intricate that the only thing one could really talk about is the scales they use and what sort of rhythms are played. But if I've got you interested yet, then you'll buy the CD and learn about all of that from Ravi's explanations. If you don't care about that sort of stuff, then you probably won't like the music.

A little education-
Indian ragas are based on scales and modes. In fact, the word "raga" means "scale." The basic structure of a raga begins with the alap section, in which the main instrument (in this case, the sitar) plays freely, accompanied only by the drone instrument (sometimes not). This is where the basic scale is first introduced. The sitarist then introduces the element of rhythm, but very slowly. The percussion (tablas in this case) comes in and introduces the tala, which is the time signature. Unlike most western music, Indian music can have all kinds of different time signatures. The ones on this album aren't too complicated, but some can be very complex and confusing. The sitar & tablas sort of jam on the raga for awhile before they play the last part of the raga. The tempo increases and they basically go insane. And then the raga ends, leaving you in a cloud of dust.

A raga can be compared to many things: an adventure, a story, a journey... But above all, it's a spiritual experience that is shared by the musicians.

Lastly, I would like to comment on the previous reviewers' references to drugs in relation to this music. In Ravi's autobiography he states how disgusted he was when he saw the audience at the Monterey Pop festival sitting there stoned out of their minds on all kinds of drugs, not really being able to fully take in the beauty of his music. About this, Ravi said, "My music can take you to a higher state of awareness on its own, without the usage of drugs." It is really a disrespect to listen to Ravi's music while under the influence of drugs. A lot of people seem to think that Eastern music and hallucinogens go hand in hand, but that is really a stereotype that was made up in the 1960s by middle-class white kids. But aside from that, do whatever you want. This music will show you the truth on its own.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer for sitar music from the world's greatest, May 24, 2000

By	S. Lyons "music and film afficionado" (Pleasantville, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was first introduced to Ravi Shankar and his music through the Concert For Bangladesh album; I was a schoolboy of about 9 when it came out, and had the pleasure of seeing the master perform in December 1996, kicking off his "75th year" tour. One need not know the technical concepts and terms used in music (scale, metre, etc.) to enjoy this CD, although it does help. Sitar music is "feel" music, like most classical forms. Thus one is able to experience some of the composer's and/or performer's intent when listening. It is a highly recommended CD for neophyte listeners, students, and fans alike.