Ravi Shankar - Flowers Of India

The roots of Ravi revisited

Flowers Of India is one album in two quite distinct parts. The first is Ravi Shankar’s monumental debut recording from 1956, the 28-minute Raga Jog, while, by way of contrast, the second half of the album is a collection of 11 shorter tracks. Recorded by Ravi’s elder brother, Uday Shankar, and his company of Hindu dancers and musicians during a historic visit to the US in 1937, these blend Indian musical styles with those of Java, Bali and Burma. With Ravi accompanied solely by tabla and tamboura, not only is Raga Jog the starting point for Shankar’s entire recording career, it is considered by many to be the finest 28 minutes of said career. At the very least it equals anything Shankar later recorded on his string of groundbreaking releases on World Pacific during the 60s when, in tune with the spirit of the times, he was able to broaden the appeal of Indian classical music beyond the tuned-in minority, culminating in his triumphant appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Hypnotic, reflective and deeply spiritual, the breathtaking Raga Jog remains a virtuoso showcase from the man David Crosby once described as the finest musician on the planet.

Él Records | ACMEM 117 CD

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
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