Ravi Shankar dead at 92: Sitar icon played with Beatles, lauded as 'godfather of world music'

	Ravi Shankar dead at 92: Sitar icon played with Beatles, lauded as 'godfather of world music' "Pandit Ravi Shankar" "Sitar maestro" "Sitar" "Pandit Ravi Shankar passes away" "Ravi Shankar" "Ravi Shankar dies" "Ravi Shankar died" "RIP Ravi Shankar" "Ravi Shankar RIP" "Grammy award winner" With an instrument perplexing to most Westerners, Ravi Shankar helped connect the world through music. The sitar virtuoso hobnobbed with the Beatles, became a hippie musical icon and spearheaded the first rock benefit concert as he introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over nearly a century. From George Harrison to John Coltrane, from Yehudi Menuhin to David Crosby, his connections reflected music's universality, though a gap persisted between Shankar and many Western fans. Sometimes they mistook tuning for tunes, while he stood aghast at displays like Jimi Hendrix's burning guitar. Shankar died Tuesday at age 92. A statement on his website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home with his wife and a daughter by his side. The musician's foundation issued a statement saying that he had suffered upper respiratory and heart problems and had undergone heart-valve replacement surgery last week. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also confirmed Shankar's death and called him a "national treasure." Labeled "the godfather of world music" by Harrison, Shankar helped millions of classical, jazz and rock lovers discover the centuries-old traditions of Indian music.	From: Shakeela Chechi Views: 0 0 ratings
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