What's Happening in San Francisco, CA…

The music of a legendary Indian artist will be heard in San Francisco.

The Ravi Shankar Ensemble was created by Shankar’s wife and daughter to honor his legacy. The Ensemble is a collective of world-class musicians of all ages who are dedicated to continuing Shankar’s mission of building bridges between cultures via the universal language of music. The ensemble is led by Shubhendra Rao, a master sitarist who studied with Shankar himself.

Ravi Shankar is often described as being the first Indian musician to receive wide-spread acclaim in the west. Every time he performed live or made a recording, his joyousness and sophistication came through, making him a major influence in the history of music. He appeared at Woodstock and at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, gatherings that have become legendary. He was often accompanied by Ustad Allah Rakha, a tabla master, and the late Zakir Hussain’s father.

The current tour honors Zakir Hussain, who is also recognized as a master of the tabla. Tabla are hand drums which have been the main source of percussion in Indian music since the 1700s. Zakir was born in Mumbai but spent much of his life and career in San Francisco.

The current tour will feature a selection of Shankar’s music as well as a program featuring visual elements from his archives. The Ravi Shankar Ensemble will appear at the Herbst Theater on April 4. Shows like this benefit from the publicity generated when organizers use poster printing to create advertisements.