Ravi Shankar | ||
Ravi Shankar playing the sitar at Woodstock
| ||
Performed on | Day 1 | |
Started at | 10.00 pm, Friday, 15th | |
Played for | 40 min. | |
Further Information | ||
Festival Day Chronology | ||
Prev. artist | Tim Hardin at 9.00 pm | |
Next artist | Melanie Safka at 11.00 pm |
The Indian music genius Ravi Shankar was for sure someone very special for the Woodstock festival. He made his first appearance to the western world at the Template:WikipediaLink in 1967, followed by an invitation from Beatle Template:WikipediaLink. In the wake of spiritualism and the search for new influences his music became very popular but Shankar wasn't fond of the drug-consuming and partying crowd of young people[1].
Shankar started at about 10 pm on Friday evening and played for over 40 minutes throughout the rain.
Musicians
- Ravi Shankar - sitar
- Maya Kulkarni - tambura
- Ustad Alla Rakha - tabla
Setlist
- Rāga Puriya-Dhanashri (Gat In Sawarital)
- Tabla Solo In Jhaptal
- Rāga Manj Kmahaj
Details
Ravi Shankar's music isn't the usual blues, folk or psychedelic rock music that one expects from such a festival. This traditional Indian music, adapted by Ravi Shankar and Ustad Alla Rakha, needs carful listening and openness for different and unknown kinds of rhythms and melodies.
Puriya-Dhanashri is an evening rāga, called Puriya-Dhanashri. It has 11 beats in the form of 4+4+3. The second piece is a Template:Wikipedia Link solo (a pair of hand drums) in the rhythmic cycle of Jhaptal with 10 beats, divided 2+3+2+3. Ustad Alla Rakha impressively demonstrates his skills.
The last song is again an evening rāga but Ravi Shankar doesn't mention the rhythmic cycle. However, this is a 21 minute long piece that really needs attention. It starts slower than the previous ones, more comfortable but soon developes into a furious interplay between Shankar and Rakha with amazing improvisations.
Availability
As it turned out, the live album At the Woodstock Festival was more or less a fake[2].
Audio
Video
- 1994: Woodstock Diaries
Images
References
- ↑ Template:WikipediaLink
- ↑ Yahoo! Woodstock Project mailing list Quote from Stereophile magazine