R.I.P. Pandit Ravi Shankar

“Beatles’ sitar player Ravi Shankar dies at 92.”- Fox News reported tonight.

This right here is another example of a colonial discourse. A group of lost boys from the West head to the “exotic” East looking for peace, love , and happiness. The legendary local music man selflessly shares his gift with them until they return home. Here they pack the miracle in plastic vinyl records, mass produce the magic, sell it with spirtuality as the stickers on the cover. The money is made, the billboards charts are topped. Young lost boys and girls of the west have now found Krishna and Ganesh in exchange of dollar bills and fan letters.

And one day when the East is mourning the death of their legend, the West is busy writing him down on the script of history as if he was an extra in their movie.
You see, the pages of history books have never been in our favor. So we refuse their words and write our own now. We de-colonize the discourse .

May the man rest in peace. The man who was not just Beatles’ sitarist, but a source of art & music that The Beatles took from. Rest In Peace Pandit Ravi Shankar.

 Thank you for the music.

Neha Rayamajhi