Death of Ravi Shankar, and the birth in South America of orchestras made from thrown-away junk

LJWorld.com weblogs New Ideas, New Possibilities

Posted by Lawrence Morgan December 30, 2012 at 3:13 a.m.

The Death of Ravi Shankar

I never personally heard Ravi Shankar, but his music played an important role in my life. I found out about him from another Scholarship Hall person when I was at KU, and as soon as possible I managed to get some recordings. From that time on, until I went into the Army, I listened to him all the time.

His death was reported as follows:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20807525

It has also occurred to me that younger people might have never heard his music. Here is a wonderful documentary from U-Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Y91TqDwM4

It is very meditative. Here is a raga from 1997, from the India and Pakistan Golden Jubilee celebrations in England, with his daughter, Anoushka Shankar, who was and is very accomplished:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xB_X9BOAOU

Some of the articles upon Ravi Shankar's death are very enlightening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20690632

Tributes have poured in from musicians and listeners throughout the world. Don't forget that Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison, of the Beatles, much about Indian music.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20691215

One of the great Indian newspapers, The Hindu, has a very fine series of articles on Ravi Shankar and what he accomplished during his long life.

http://www.thehindu.com/system/topicRoot/Pandit_Ravi_Shankar_1920-2012/

Life in Pictures

Here is his life in pictures, from the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20690681

And the New York Times article regarding Ravi Shankar's death follows.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/arts/music/ravi-shankar-indian-sitarist-dies-at-92.html?pagewanted=all

I'm wondering ... have you in your lifetime had any special experiences with Ravi Shankar's music? Please comment on them.

New Orchestras Made From Thrown-Away Junk in South America

Meanwhile, in Paraguay a new orchestra has been born, and for many it is a new life. Many of these young people have spent their whole day sorting out trash. The fact that they have been able to learn how to make musical instruments is amazing, and it is even more amazing that they are now playing.

And I am curious if anyone in the School of Music at KU has heard their music and has, in the back of their minds, some idea of serving others in the future in the same way, in any country.

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/12/more-heartbreak-at-the-landfill-harmonic.html

A forthcoming film will be finished next year which I can't wait to see.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20863789

So from the death of a great Indian musician, Ravi Shankar, to the birth of new orchestras using thrown-away junk, music carries on in an amazing way.

How many students in Lawrence, and Kansas, have musical instruments at their schools, or has that mostly been taken away from schools?