San Francisco Jazz Fest: The Godfather of World Music's Ravi Shankar

The San Francisco Jazz Festival is in motion and Ravi Shankar comes to the stage next week. George Harrison called Ravi the Godfather of World Music.

Perhaps the most famous person from India and the world’s most important sitar player, Ravi Shankar has been a legend since the ‘60s — and his prominence has only continued to grow.

He was the first Indian musician to have a profound impact on the West, and his influence on music history cannot be overstated. Bringing a nearly superhuman level of musical sophistication and joyous expressiveness to each recording and performance, he was a defining presence at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock and the famed Concert For Bangladesh.

Currently celebrating his 90th birthday, Shankar has continued to be India’s chief musical ambassador, performing worldwide with his still-wondrous technique. 

Sharing the stage with the maestro is his daughter, Anoushka Shankar, an artist widely considered to represent the future of Indian music.

After much critical acclaim, several Grammy nominations, and many collaborations with artists such as Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Norah Jones, Karsh Kale and Thievery Corporation, Anoushka brings the Shankar legacy to new horizons.

He'll be playing at Davies Symphony Hall on October 27, 2010 in San Francisco.