Friday 14 December 2012

Ravi Shankar to receive Lifetime Achievement Grammy award


Ravi Shankar to receive Lifetime Achievement Grammy award

Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously, organisers of the Recording Academy announced on Thursday, the first Indian to get the prestigious award.


The award would be presented on February 10 at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. 92-year-old Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner, died on Wednesday after undergoing a heart-valve replacement surgery at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.
"The decision to honour Ravi was made before his death. He was personally notified by phone by our President/CEO Neil Portnow last week," Grammy spokeswoman Stephanie Schell said after the awards were announced.
"Just last week, I had the honour to inform him that he would receive a 2013 Lifetime Achievement this February. He was deeply touched and so pleased, that he extended a gracious and personal invitation to visit with him at his home," Portnow said.
Shankar was a true pioneer in introducing Indian music to the West, he said, adding the music icon influenced artists across classical, jazz, pop, rock, and world music genres, including the Beatles, John Coltrane, Philip Glass, and his daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar.
"We have lost an innovative and exceptional talent and a true ambassador of international music. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends and all of those around the world who were inspired by his music and compassionate philanthropy," Portnow said.
Other recipients of this year's lifetime achievement Grammy awards are Glenn Gould, Charlie Haden, Lightnin' Hopkins, Carole King, Patti Page, and the Temptations.
"As one of the world's most renowned sitar players, three-time Grammy winner Ravi Shankar is a true ambassador for international music," said a statement issued by the Academy.
"A humanitarian and philanthropist, in 1971 Shankar, along with George Harrison, organised the Concert for Bangladesh, which paved the way for many other fundraising charity concerts," it said.
"With a performance career spanning more than 80 years, he has influenced a variety of musicians, including the Beatles, John Coltrane, Philip Glass and his daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar," it added.
The music legend's most recent Grammy win came in 2000 for Best World Music Album for 'Full Circle Carnegie Hall 2000'.
The first of the Grammy awards came in 1967 for his collaborative album with Yehudi Menuhin, 'West Meets East'.
Released in April, his 'The Living Room Sessions Part 1' is nominated for Best World Music Album for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. His daughter Anoushka is also nominated in the same category for her album 'Traveller'.
Shankar last performed in California on November 4 along with Anoushka.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance in the field of recording, is determined by vote of the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees.
In the past, the Lifetime Achievement Award has gone to among others icons like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Julie Andrews and Glen Campbell.

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