Indian Sitarist Ravi Shankar Dies

Posted December 12th, 2012 at 1:00 am (UTC-5)
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Indian composer and sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar has died in a California hospital. He was 92.

The entertainer, who was called “the godfather” of the music world by the Beatles, had been frail for several years. A statement released by his family says he was recently hospitalized for surgery.

Shankar was one of India's best known performers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a message on “Twitter” Wednesday reacting to his death. The prime minister called Shankar a “national treasure” and a “global ambassador of India's cultural heritage.”

Shankar and the late Beatle George Harrison collaborated on several projects, including a 1971 concert for Bangladesh. He also worked with violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

He was the father of American singer Norah Jones.