Collaborations is a four-disc compilation box set by Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar and former Beatle George Harrison. Released in October 2010 on Dark Horse Records, it compiles two studio albums originally issued on that label – the long-unavailable Shankar Family & Friends (1974) and Ravi Shankar's Music Festival from India (1976) – and Chants of India, first issued on Angel Records in 1997. Although all three albums were originally Shankar releases, for which Harrison served in the role of music producer and guest musician, both Shankar and Harrison are credited as artists on the box set. Each of the collaborative projects represents a departure from Shankar's more typical work as a sitarist and performer of Hindustani classical ragas, with the box set showcasing his forays into, variously, jazz and rock, Indian folk and orchestral ensembles, and devotional music.
The fourth disc of Collaborations is a DVD containing previously unissued film of a performance by the Music Festival from India, recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 1974.
CD - 1 Chants Of India (1997)
The first CD is Chants Of India by Ravi Shankar, produced by Harrison and first released in 1997. Previously out of print, Chants Of India was the pair's final released collaboration.
The album was recorded over three sessions in Madras and London, and contains 16 compositions written by Shankar, over which Vedic verses in Sanskrit are chanted.
1. Vandanaa Trayee
2. Omkaaraaya Namaha
3. Vedic Chanting One
4. Asato Maa
5. Sahanaa Vavatu
6. Poornamadah
7. Gaayatri
8. Mahaa Mrityunjaya (Om Triambakam)
9. Veenaa-Murali
10. Geetaa (Karmanye Vadhikaraste)
11. Mangalam (Tala Mantra)
12. Hari Om
13. Swara Mantra
14. Vedic Chanting Two
15. Prabhujee
16. Sarve Shaam
CD - 2 Ravi Shankar's Music Festival From India (1976)
Disc two is Ravi Shankar's Music Festival From India. The collaboration came about after Harrison invited Shankar and 17 other Indian musicians to record in London. It was the first musical initiative under the auspices of the Material World Charitable Foundation, which encouraged alternative forms of artistic expression and philosophies.
The Ravi Shankar Music Festival brought together respected Indian musicians, including Shivkumar Sharma, Alla Rakha and Sultan Khan, to perform compositions written by Shankar. The album was recorded in five weeks with Harrison producing.
Ravi Shankar's Music Festival From India was only previously issued on vinyl, and had been deleted for over 30 years prior to Collaborations. After its initial release in 1976, the collective undertook a European tour which ended with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
1. Vandana
2. Dhamar
3. a) Tarana b) Chaturang
4. Raga Jait
5. Kajri
6. Bhajan
7. Naderdani
8. Dehati
CD - 3 Shankar Family & Friends (1974)
The third CD is Shankar Family & Friends, dating from 1974. This was the first studio collaboration between Shankar and Harrison, and is the most Western-sounding of the recordings. The musicians included Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner and Harrison himself.
In addition to the English song titles (I Am Missing You, Festivity And Joy and Awakening among them), the instrumentation in places features saxophone, marimba, piano, flute, bass and six-string guitars, drums and echo effects - any of which would have sounded out of place on the other discs.
As far as the collaborations go, Shankar Family & Friends presents the most even mix of East and West. It's by far the most accessible for those unfamiliar with classical Indian music, and would have made a more logical starting point for the box set.
Indian music was one of George Harrison's enduring passions, and there has never before been a satisfactory anthology of his links to the genre. While far from comprehensive, Collaborations is a worthwhile purchase for Indian music aficionados and curious newcomers alike, although those hoping to hear Harrison's voice may be disappointed. Nonetheless, presented with palpable love and attention to detail, Collaborations is a fitting tribute to the work of two great musicians.
1. I Am Missing You
2. Kahan gayelava shyam salon
3. Supan m ay preetam sainya
4. I Am Missing You (reprise)
5. Jaya Jagadish Har (Dream, Nightmare & Dawn)
6. Overture - Part One: Dream
7. Festivity & Joy
8. Love Dance Ecstasy - Part Two: Nightmare
9. Lust (Raga Chandrakauns)
10. Dispute & Violence
11. Disillusionment & Frustration
12. Despair & Sorrow (Raga Marwa) - Part Three: Dawn
13. Awakening
14. Peace & Hope (Raga Bhatiyar)
