Ravi Shankar passes away at age 92

[Nerys Ghemor]

He's lived a long and fruitful life, but I'm sad to say that the great musician and composer Ravi Shankar has passed away at the age of 92.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/12/showbiz/ravi-shankar-appreciation/?hpt=hp_c1

Condolences to his family, including his daughters Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

yet another great musician less

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Indeed.

It seems he was quite underappreciated with this generation, too.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

a fate he shared with many musicians. Mozart starved, Beethoven wasn't taken serious anymore after he went deaf, Bach and Haendel were so badly payed that they emigrated, the Beatles didn't get a contract with Decca Records because "guitar rock has no future" and hardly anyone in the US knows Jim Byrnes, one of the most famous Blues musicians in Canada (he was born in the US, but never had a breakthrough there) - the prophet counts nothing in his own country.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

As far as I know Shankar did always have a lot of appreciation in India, but I don't think he's that well known in the US anymore. A shame, because there's a lot of good stuff in his catalogue to hear.

The classical composer comparison is apt, though, because Shankar did compose Indian classical music. I listen but I don't understand the nuances the way I would with Western music. But I still like it and try.

 

[Aeronef]

Bach and Haendel were so badly payed that they emigrated

I'm not sure that Handel really belongs on that list.

Isn't that like saying that George, Elector of Hanover was unappreciated in his homeland, and was forced to emigrate to England and become King?

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I am not sure you could really compare them. George was the next heir in line and didn't have much of a choice.
Haendel went to London since there he got payed better. Admittedly, he did so while he was still under a comparatively good contract in Germany. As far as that is concerned, you are right, he doesn't really fit in with the list. But one reason for his emigration was also that he felt he was not appreciated enough in Germany. In London he was #1 while over here he'd only have been some composer at a comperatively small and unimportant local court. While I think we can mostly blame his big ego, to a certain extent he might really have been under-appreciated.

Which brings us back to Ravi Shankar who seems to have had not such a big ego. But he, too, left his home because abroad he found better career chances. And one must not forget that at that time (in the 70s) India was one of the poorest countries in the world, as badly off as many African states. Something that has changed quite a bit in the last 2 decades.