Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pandit Ravi Shankar is a musical enigma. One of India's most esteemed musical ambassadors, tales of his legendary sitar and composition skills have  travelled across the seven seas, without even the slightest need for embellishment. And besides being a phenomenal performer, composer, teacher and writer, this powerhouse of classical music talent is even better known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West. 

He may be aging fast now, but his zest for life and music is a never-ending  state of being for him. His ridiculously impressive repertoire includes 3 sitar concertos, authoring violin-sitar compositions for Yehudi Menuhin, flute compositions for Jeanne Pierre Rampal, collaborations with george Harrison and Philip Glass, given birth to 2 super talented musician daughters (Anushka and Norah Jones) and even composed for films and ballets in India, U.S. and Canada. And just in case none of this is impressive enough for you (which would render you completely delusional in our opinion) meet the only Indian musician to have performed at Woodstock '69!

-Picture courtesy indiatimes gallery-