Album Notes

Ravi Shankar, the legendary sitar maestro turned eighty on 7 April 2000.
To celebrate that day, his student Chandrakant Sardeshmukh released this CD album titled Celebrationto my guru, Pt. Ravi Shankar on his 80th birthday.

This event was highlighted by Chandrakant's CD release concert on 8 April 2000 in the John Fairfax Theatre at the National Gallery of Australia, hosted by the Indian High Commission.

The artist says: "In celebrating my guru's eightieth birthday, I want to bring happiness to everybody."

If you are in search of happiness, you will find happiness forever listening to this album.

The slow unfolding of notes reaches a climax with the full melodic revelation melody of Hemant in a masterly interplay of sitar and drums. It is set in the popular rhythmic cycle (tala) of sixteen beats known as teental.

Shuddh Kaushi is set to a seven beat tala known as rupak. The intimacy between master and disciple is evoked in subtle embroideries of this mode, lovingly performed with wistful graces that will touch the listeners heart.