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Ananda Shankar: A Musical Revolutionary
If you are a music lover and haven’t heard about Ananda Shankar, then you are missing out on one of the most innovative musical artists of the 20th century. Ananda was a musician, composer, and performer who achieved a distinct fusion of Indian classical music and western rock, blues and psychedelic sounds. His music has captivated and inspired audiences since the 1960s and has become a source of influence for many modern-day fusion artists. In this blog post, we will take a deep dive into Ananda Shankar’s musical biography, explore some of his best songs, music genres, famous concerts and hear from some top critics.
Ananda Shankar came from a family of Indian classical musicians. Shankar’s uncle, Ravi Shankar, a world-renowned sitarist, was his teacher. Ananda Shankar was trained in percussion and sitar, but he was also influenced by western classical and rock music. In the 1960s, Shankar explored the possibilities of blending tabla with the Beatles’ psychedelic sounds, Frank Zappa, and Jimi Hendrix’s electric guitar, and this became the hallmark of his music.
One of the best songs by Ananda Shankar is ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ released in 1970, which is a sitar-infused version of the Rolling Stones’ classic. The song was a hit and helped popularize Shankar’s fusion music style outside India. Another top song is ‘Dancing Drums’ which is a fusion of Indian classical music and jazz. The tune features Ashish Khan’s ecstatic violin and Ananda Shankar’s hypnotic sitar, and showcases Shankar’s improvisation skills.
Ananda Shankar was known for his experimental sounds and fusing different genres. He played Indian classical music, raga based tunes, jazz, rock, blues, and even disco music. He would often experiment with different instruments such as guitar, drums, bass guitar, and synthesizers. To Shankar, it was about merging east and west and creating something unique that showcased his Indian roots and western influences.
Ananda Shankar and his band performed at many acclaimed concerts during his career. One of the most notable performances was in 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall in London with George Harrison, who described Shankar’s music as transcendental. Another memorable concert was in 1971 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where Shankar played an epic set. The high energy of the festival crowd combined with Shankar’s electrifying music made it a standout concert.
Despite his success, Shankar’s music was not received well by critics in his early days. Some criticized the blending of western and eastern sounds as cultural appropriation and inauthentic. However, as his music became more popular, critics started to praise the musical revolution that Ananda Shankar created. Journalist and music critic Richie Unterberger called him one of the pioneers of the world music movement for his unique blend of sounds that had a global impact.
Ananda Shankar was a true pioneer of fusion music, ahead of his time. His music was a bridge between two worlds, blending different genres and styles to create something unique. Shankar’s music still resonates today in modern music circles and continues to inspire many artists. While he may not have been widely known during his lifetime, his legacy lives on not just in his music but also in how he challenged the norms and barriers of music genres. If we could describe Ananda Shankar’s music with one word, it would be revolutionary.