Ravi Shankar Plays the Monterey Pop Festival

In June 1967, Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar took the stage at the Monterey International Pop Festival in California, delivering a performance that introduced Indian classical traditions to a massive American rock audience. Born in Benares in 1920, Shankar spent his early youth touring internationally with the dance troupe of his brother Uday. He subsequently abandoned dancing at eighteen to pursue rigorous instrumental training under court musician Allauddin Khan in Maihar, mastering the sitar and traditional ragas over seven years of dedicated study.

Following his studies, Shankar composed music for ballets, feature films such as Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, and served as music director for All India Radio in New Delhi from 1949 to 1956. Resigning to embark on international tours across Europe and the United States, he sought to educate Western listeners on the intricacies of Hindustani music. His concerts incorporated South Indian Carnatic ragas and displayed a distinctive style combining meditative solo sections with dynamic tabla interplay, largely developed alongside percussionist Alla Rakha.