Sony Music, global music giant, and East Meets West Music announced an exclusive licensing agreement where Sony Music India will release a range of rare recordings of the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar’s music in India in addition to other titles from the catalog. East Meets West Music is the official recording label of The Ravi Shankar Foundation and has unique access to an archive featuring thousands of hours of live performance audio, film footage, interviews, and studio masters.
On December 11th 2016, Sony Music released the first of the recordings, titled “The Living Room Sessions Part I & 2, which is available across all digital platforms. Additionally the label will also release physical CDs.
Commenting on the same Pt. Ravi Shankar’s wife Sukanya Shankar says, “..this was his dream, to have a way to bring his rare and never-before-released material to India. We are happy and grateful to Sony Music for partnering with us and helping to bring this treasure trove of music to his fans.”
Adds on Arjun Sankalia, Director International Music & Special projects, Sony Music India “It is an honour and a privilege to be associated with the great Pt Ravi Shankar and his music. His virtuosity as a musician is unparalleled. It is with great joy and pride that we bring these recordings to the Indian market.”
Under this agreement, the next year will see a special release that debuts exclusively in India and Middle East regions. East Meets West Music plans to work with Sony Music India on special projects exclusive to the region.
In an effort to promote India’s rich musical heritage across the globe, Sony Music India has released rare recordings of a number of legendary Indian music artists including Pandit Jasraj, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Allahrakha, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Dr Balamurali Krishna, to name a few.
Legendary virtuoso sitarist, composer, writer, and teacher—Pt. Ravi Shankar is India’s most esteemed musical ambassador whose artistry crossed all cultural and musical boundaries. He was renowned world over for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West.
