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Raga Mala Ma vie en musique: Mémoires d'un des plus grands musiciens de musique traditionnelle indienne
Revivez, au travers de témoignages inédits, les grands moments qui ont fait la carrière de Ravi Shankar
Ces mémoires exceptionnels retracent le parcours d’un homme hors du commun. Dans une langue claire et élégante nourrie des témoignages des nombreux musiciens qui ont croisé sa route, Shankar se souvient de son enfance à Bénarès, de ses tournées en Europe à l’époque où il dansait dans la troupe de son frère Uday, de son engagement auprès du maître Allaudin Khan qui lui enseigna l’art du sitar.
Viennent les années 1950 et 1960 où il commence à populariser la musique indienne en Occident et fait la rencontre décisive de George Harrison. On plonge alors dans les coulisses de ses plus mythiques performances, comme à Woodstock ou à Monterrey.
Car Shankar a toujours voulu faire partager au public occidental les principes de la musique indienne et particulièrement son lien au sacré. On apprend comment Shankar a aussi composé de nombreuses musiques de films, en particulier pour Satyajit Ray, fondé des écoles de musique en Inde et en Californie, formé plusieurs disciples et même été élu député. On rencontre aussi toutes les personnalités qu’il a côtoyées au cours de sa riche existence : ses filles Anoushka Shankar et Norah Jones, les Beatles, Gene Kelly, Richard Burton, Peter Sellers, Marlon Brando, etc.
Cette autobiographie comprend aussi des photos exceptionnelles tirées de ses archives personnelles. La vie de Ravi Shankar résume à elle seule la rencontre entre Orient et Occident. Cette autobiographie est à l’image de son auteur, l’un des plus grands musiciens du XXe siècle : pleine de charme, de dignité, d’esprit et d’humour.
Quelques accords de sitar, le récit de nombreux festivals : découvrez la vie du célèbre musicien indien !
CE QU'EN PENSE LA CRITIQUE
- "Ces Mémoires, écrits sur un ton très familier sont une lecture indispensable pour qui s’intéresse à l’Inde, à la musique, incarnées par un grand homme si simple, Ravi Shankar." (Jean-Claude Perrier, Livres-Hebdo)
A PROPOS DE L'AUTEUR
Né en 1920 et mort en 2012, Ravi Shankar est à ce jour le musicien indien le plus connu. Sitariste, il a démocratisé et vulgarisé les sonorités de la musique traditionnelle indienne au cours des années 1960. De nombreux groupes rock de cette époque, tels que les Beatles ou les Rolling Stones, ont fortement été influencés par ces nouveaux timbres. Il est le père de la chanteuse Norah Jones.
EXTRAIT
Le petit monde où je suis né, à Bénarès, ressemblait à l’Inde telle qu’elle existait deux mille ans auparavant. Excepté les quelques automobiles, bicyclettes et autres petits symboles de modernité qui m’entouraient, tout était vraiment vieux : le mode de vie, les temples et les ghats de la ville. Les ghats (littéralement : « lieux pentus ») sont des escaliers en gradins qui s’étagent sur les rives du fleuve. Ils ont fait la réputation de Bénarès, car, de là, on est témoin du cycle complet de la vie même, de la naissance à la mort.
Ces mémoires exceptionnels retracent le parcours d’un homme hors du commun. Dans une langue claire et élégante nourrie des témoignages des nombreux musiciens qui ont croisé sa route, Shankar se souvient de son enfance à Bénarès, de ses tournées en Europe à l’époque où il dansait dans la troupe de son frère Uday, de son engagement auprès du maître Allaudin Khan qui lui enseigna l’art du sitar.
Viennent les années 1950 et 1960 où il commence à populariser la musique indienne en Occident et fait la rencontre décisive de George Harrison. On plonge alors dans les coulisses de ses plus mythiques performances, comme à Woodstock ou à Monterrey.
Car Shankar a toujours voulu faire partager au public occidental les principes de la musique indienne et particulièrement son lien au sacré. On apprend comment Shankar a aussi composé de nombreuses musiques de films, en particulier pour Satyajit Ray, fondé des écoles de musique en Inde et en Californie, formé plusieurs disciples et même été élu député. On rencontre aussi toutes les personnalités qu’il a côtoyées au cours de sa riche existence : ses filles Anoushka Shankar et Norah Jones, les Beatles, Gene Kelly, Richard Burton, Peter Sellers, Marlon Brando, etc.
Cette autobiographie comprend aussi des photos exceptionnelles tirées de ses archives personnelles. La vie de Ravi Shankar résume à elle seule la rencontre entre Orient et Occident. Cette autobiographie est à l’image de son auteur, l’un des plus grands musiciens du XXe siècle : pleine de charme, de dignité, d’esprit et d’humour.
Quelques accords de sitar, le récit de nombreux festivals : découvrez la vie du célèbre musicien indien !
CE QU'EN PENSE LA CRITIQUE
- "Ces Mémoires, écrits sur un ton très familier sont une lecture indispensable pour qui s’intéresse à l’Inde, à la musique, incarnées par un grand homme si simple, Ravi Shankar." (Jean-Claude Perrier, Livres-Hebdo)
A PROPOS DE L'AUTEUR
Né en 1920 et mort en 2012, Ravi Shankar est à ce jour le musicien indien le plus connu. Sitariste, il a démocratisé et vulgarisé les sonorités de la musique traditionnelle indienne au cours des années 1960. De nombreux groupes rock de cette époque, tels que les Beatles ou les Rolling Stones, ont fortement été influencés par ces nouveaux timbres. Il est le père de la chanteuse Norah Jones.
EXTRAIT
Le petit monde où je suis né, à Bénarès, ressemblait à l’Inde telle qu’elle existait deux mille ans auparavant. Excepté les quelques automobiles, bicyclettes et autres petits symboles de modernité qui m’entouraient, tout était vraiment vieux : le mode de vie, les temples et les ghats de la ville. Les ghats (littéralement : « lieux pentus ») sont des escaliers en gradins qui s’étagent sur les rives du fleuve. Ils ont fait la réputation de Bénarès, car, de là, on est témoin du cycle complet de la vie même, de la naissance à la mort.
552 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
16 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Ravi Shankar
159 books8 followersRavi Shankar (Bengali: রবি শংকর; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury on 7 April 1920), often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician.
In 1956, he began to tour Europe and America playing Indian classical music and increased its popularity there in the 1960s through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles. Shankar engaged Western music by writing concerti for sitar and orchestra and toured the world in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1986 to 1992 he served as a nominated member of the upper chamber of the Parliament of India. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, and received three Grammy Awards. He continues to perform in the 2000s, often with his daughter Anoushka.
In 1956, he began to tour Europe and America playing Indian classical music and increased its popularity there in the 1960s through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles. Shankar engaged Western music by writing concerti for sitar and orchestra and toured the world in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1986 to 1992 he served as a nominated member of the upper chamber of the Parliament of India. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, and received three Grammy Awards. He continues to perform in the 2000s, often with his daughter Anoushka.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 12, 2012
As a book - a composite of content, illustrations, photographs, paper quality, the heft of its size and the sheer abundance of old ink - this one's a collector's item.
The main thing I've taken away from this study of the maestro's life is that he not only had immense talent, but also the discernment about which opportunities to pick. So, to some extent, his success looks effortless and his breaks, lucky - maybe the struggle and the long hours of practice are underplayed.
If you're looking for details about his personal life - read women - there's not too much of it as the book revolves primarily around the man and his music.
The main thing I've taken away from this study of the maestro's life is that he not only had immense talent, but also the discernment about which opportunities to pick. So, to some extent, his success looks effortless and his breaks, lucky - maybe the struggle and the long hours of practice are underplayed.
If you're looking for details about his personal life - read women - there's not too much of it as the book revolves primarily around the man and his music.
February 2, 2018
Beautiful autobiography of a fascinating life
July 15, 2023
È una storia avvincente la vita di Ravi. La parte musicale è molto approfondita anche con termini non certo usuali per i lettori occidentali. Utile il dizionario alla fine
July 25, 2011
I loved this book and still do. The life story of the one man perhaps most responsible for bringing Indian music and through it, culture, to the West.
Beginning with his life on tour as a dancer in his brother's band, continuing through his scholarship under Alluadin Khan, moving through years of touring places like France, Russia, and his work with the India Radio Orchestra, it glides up until his meeting with George Harrison and the years he recorded for Pacific Records in Los Angeles. He manages to explain the spiritual side of his music and how each improvisational performance is tuned to a specific emotional idiom. He makes some points about his relationship to the hippie culture which was introduced to him via the Monterey Pop Festival, and also some views about that culture and its use of drugs. Drugs, he insisted, are not necessary to enjoy and realize meaning from it. The very purpose of the music is to get you high. As for the young & drugs he argues "isn't being young enough of a high itself?" That kind of pure simplicity I find absolutely charming and a wonderful lesson (when considered in hindsight!) however, it was what it was, that era. which is not to say that he says absolutely no place for drugs in life-(in some places he does) but rather "they ought to be a reward for adult accomplishment rather than a way of life." Often I wished a lot of my peers could have or would have taken it to heart, there might be a few dozen more of them around. And despite slight disagreements over things like that, I love the guy & his musical philosophy and skills so much that at 90 years old now, I hope he keeps on playing until he's 100. He's a world treasure. Maybe by then he'll have helped us all vibrate up to a higher level of planetary consciousness.
Beginning with his life on tour as a dancer in his brother's band, continuing through his scholarship under Alluadin Khan, moving through years of touring places like France, Russia, and his work with the India Radio Orchestra, it glides up until his meeting with George Harrison and the years he recorded for Pacific Records in Los Angeles. He manages to explain the spiritual side of his music and how each improvisational performance is tuned to a specific emotional idiom. He makes some points about his relationship to the hippie culture which was introduced to him via the Monterey Pop Festival, and also some views about that culture and its use of drugs. Drugs, he insisted, are not necessary to enjoy and realize meaning from it. The very purpose of the music is to get you high. As for the young & drugs he argues "isn't being young enough of a high itself?" That kind of pure simplicity I find absolutely charming and a wonderful lesson (when considered in hindsight!) however, it was what it was, that era. which is not to say that he says absolutely no place for drugs in life-(in some places he does) but rather "they ought to be a reward for adult accomplishment rather than a way of life." Often I wished a lot of my peers could have or would have taken it to heart, there might be a few dozen more of them around. And despite slight disagreements over things like that, I love the guy & his musical philosophy and skills so much that at 90 years old now, I hope he keeps on playing until he's 100. He's a world treasure. Maybe by then he'll have helped us all vibrate up to a higher level of planetary consciousness.
June 9, 2012
Wonderful self telling of one of the worlds masters life, from childhood in the Indian Opera up to the Beatle Years and after to present day! His relationship with George Harrison, world dignitaries, it is a wonderfully enriching tale.
July 25, 2007
I finally finished this book, it was good for me but not necessarily good. I would like to know more about classical Indian music.
January 15, 2009
Rally interesting considering music is so close to my heart. His life is crazy bit clearly he is great.
Read
September 27, 2010A sincere and revealing book , inspiring for music lovers. The tale of a life devoted to music.
A great inspiration if you are curious about serious music forms other tahn western classical music.
A great inspiration if you are curious about serious music forms other tahn western classical music.
December 6, 2010
Not sure how much you would like it if you are not a fan- but regardless- RS had lived a fascinating life and I bet most readers would enjoy it. For fans I would say required reading.
August 3, 2013
A must read for lovers of Indian classical music.
More about thus book @
http://bookwormsrecos.blogspot.in/200...
More about thus book @
http://bookwormsrecos.blogspot.in/200...
March 15, 2015
Detailed review here http://www.anureviews.com/raga-mala-b...
February 27, 2021
Very deep look into this amazing artist.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews