Ravi Shankar

Sitar god Ravi Shankar's status in Indian music is the Eastern equivalent of Yo-Yo Ma's, Elvis Presley's, and Frank Sinatra's — combined. Since the '50s he's been the ultimate ambassador of Indian raga music to the rest of the world. The reasons for his superstar standing become brilliantly clear when you hear the range of emotions he can move through with mystifying ease, from pieces like the early morning raga "Bairagi Todi," with its mellow, meditative feel, to the burbling spring of joy that bursts forth from his early recording "Dhun (Folk Airs)," and the rolling, tumbling interplay of sitar and tabla that churns things up to a fever pitch on "Gat Kirwani." Hear Shankar changing musical partners in Next Steps.

It's not easy being a musical giant on a global scale like Ravi Shankar. Every time you turn around there's another mighty maestro looking to collaborate with you, like legendary conductor André Previn, who brought the London Symphony Orchestra along for a little East-meets-West action on the "Concerto for Sitar & Orchestra." Or master of modern minimalism Philip Glass, who tapped into some Indian soul by joining Shankar for the raga scales and circular structures of "Ragas in Minor Scale." Earlier in his career, Shanker even found himself swinging his sitar behind the biggest thing in Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar, on "Jane Kase Sapnon Mein" from the soundtrack to the Indian film Anuradha. Shankar shares his gift with his followers in Deep Cuts.

When you make musical waves the size of those started by Ravi Shankar, your influence spreads far and wide, and Shankar's always been open to getting down with his disciples. You can hear the cross-generational crackle of old-school and young blood coming together on "Oceanic," when Shankar shares the spotlight with his daughter Anoushka, a sitar-sizzling chip off the old block, and on "Discovery of India," where sarangi player Sultan Khan of pan-ethnic electro-Indian outfit Tabla Beat Science bows to the master and goes back to his roots. "Memory of Uday" is a particularly personal piece for Shankar, honoring his late brother as the master interacts with American heavyweights Al Kooper and Patrick O'Hearn on a mix of Eastern tradition and intoxicating, ethereal atmosphere.

Ravi Shankar is to the Indian musical tradition of raga as Chuck Berry is to rock 'n' roll — he may not have invented it, but he sure became its living definition. Shankar's influence is directly responsible for great forward leaps in other styles, from Eastern-riffing, sitar-laden '60s psychedelic rock to the modal jazz of John Coltrane. As the father of Norah Jones, his genes are a part of today's pop sound, too. From the hypnotic subtleties of true Indian classical music to the exciting possibilities of musical culture clashes with Western jazz, pop, and orchestral sounds, Shankar has been making musical history since 1939, and he entered the 20th century with no signs of slowing down. You can begin exploring the widespread wonders of the original world music icon right here.