In Western music, like rock & roll and country, we are used to hearing rhythm, melody, and harmony. But in traditional Indian music, there is a different element that is introduced, the raga. In an interview with NPR in 2010, Ravi Shankar explains what a raga is and how it sounds on the sitar.

May I suggest spending time today listening to the music of Ravi Shankar, his daughters, and his rock and roll star students. His daughters are Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar, they have independent careers, but have also worked on duets together. His students include George Harrison of the Beatles, David Crosby of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones.

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