Born in Almora, Uttar Pradesh, India, Ananda was the son of Amala and Uday Shankar, popular dancers. He was also the nephew of renowned sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar. Ananda did not learn sitar from his uncle but studied instead with Dr. Lalmani Misra in Varanasi.
In the late 1960s Shankar travelled to Los Angeles, where he played with many contemporary musicians including Jimi Hendrix. There he was signed to Reprise Records and released his first studio album, the self-titled Ananda Shankar in 1970, featuring original Indian classical material alongside sitar-based cover versions of popular hits such as The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and The Doors' "Light My Fire". This album has become an enduring cult classic.
Returning to India in the early 1970s Shankar continued to experiment musically and in 1975 released his most critically acclaimed album, Ananda Shankar and His Music, a jazz-funk mix of Eastern sitar, tabla and mridangam, Western rock guitar, drums and Moog synthesizers. Out of print for many years, Ananda Shankar and His Music was re-released on CD in 2005.
After working in India during the late 1970s and 1980s, Shankar's profile in the West began to rise again in the mid-1990s as his music found its way into club DJ sets, particularly in London. His music was brought to a wider audience with the release of Blue Note Records' popular 1996 rare groove compilation album, Blue Juice Vol. 1., featuring the two standout tracks from Ananda Shankar and His Music, "Dancing Drums" and "Streets of Calcutta".
In the late 1990s Shankar worked and toured in the United Kingdom with London DJ State of Bengal and others, a collaboration that would result in the Walking On album, featuring Shankar's trademark sitar soundscapes mixed with breakbeat and hip hop. Walking On was released in 2000 after Shankar's sudden death from heart failure the year before.
In 2005, his song "Raghupati" was featured in the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Raghupati
Ananda Shankar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who is the eternal one?.
The one without a second,
it matters little, whatever call him
Allah, Buddha, Christ or Jehova.
He belongs equally to us all.
Raghupati pâghavâ râjâ râm
Raghupati pâghavâ râjâ râm
patita pâvana sîtâ râm.
Îshavara Allâh tere nâm,
sabkô sanmanti dê bhagavân
Îshavara Allâh tere nâm,
sabkô sanmanti dê bhagavân
Raghupati pâghavâ râjâ râm
patita pâvana sîtâ râm.
Raghupati pâghavâ râjâ râm
patita pâvana sîtâ râm.
Îshavara Allâh tere nâm,
sabkô sanmanti dê bhagavân
Îshavara Allâh tere nâm,
sabkô sanmanti dê bhagavân)
Jai jai râm sîyâ râm
The lyrics of Ananda Shankar's "Raghupati" exalt the idea of a supreme being who is referred to by different names, but ultimately belongs to everyone. The song celebrates the oneness of all religions and their respective deities. The first verse acknowledges that there is a higher power that goes beyond any label or name, and that this power is universal and accessible to all. The second verse is a repetition of the chorus, which calls upon Raghupati, a Hindu god, to save those who suffer and bring peace. The third verse merges the concept of Raghupati with Allah, in a way that acknowledges both the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Islam. The song concludes with a triumphant proclamation of victory and the praise of Rama and Sita, two revered figures in Hindu mythology.
Line by Line Meaning
Let us sing in praise of Rahman.
We should sing in praise of the Eternal One.
Who is the eternal one?.
Who is the one without a second?
The one without a second,
The one who is singular and unique,
it matters little, whatever call him
No matter what name we use to refer to him,
Allah, Buddha, Christ or Jehova.
Whether we call him Allah, Buddha, Christ, or Jehova,
He belongs equally to us all.
He belongs to all of us equally.
Raghupati pâghavâ râjâ râm
Lord Rama, king of Raghu dynasty,
patita pâvana sîtâ râm.
O Lord Rama, who rescued Sita, the fallen one.
Îshavara Allâh tere nâm,
O Lord, whose name is Ishvara Allah,
sabkô sanmanti dê bhagavân
Bestow your blessings upon everyone,
Jai jai râm sîyâ râm
Victory to Lord Rama and Sita!
Writer(s): Paul Lewinson, Ananda Shankar, Alex Hassilev Copyright: WB Music Corp., Tamara Music
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.