The Asian Music Circle (sometimes abbreviated to AMC) was an organisation founded in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, in 1946, that promoted

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and other Asian styles of music, dance and culture in the West. The AMC is credited with having facilitated the assimilation of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

's artistic traditions into mainstream British culture. Founded by Indian writer and former political activist Ayana Angadi and his English wife, Patricia Fell-Clarke, a painter and later a novelist, the organisation was run from their family home in the north London suburb of

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...

. In the 1950s, with

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to the v ...

as its president, the AMC organised the first Western performances by

Indian classical Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were no ...

musicians

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...

and

Ali Akbar Khan Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 192218 June 2009) was a Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, he ...

, as well as

Vilayat Khan Ustad Vilayat Khan (28 August 1928 – 13 March 2004) was an Indian classical sitar player.George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

to Shankar, initiating an association that saw Indian music reach its peak in international popularity over 1966–68. The Music Circle had its own London-based musicians, some of whom played on Harrison's Indian-style compositions for the Beatles, including "

Within You Without You "Within You Without You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Written by lead guitarist George Harrison, it was his second composition in the Indian classical style, af ...

" from the album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. The AMC is recognised as having introduced

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

into Britain, through the Angadis' hosting of classes by visiting

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

B.K.S. Iyengar Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (14 December 1918 – 20 August 2014) was an Indian teacher of yoga and author. He is founder of the style of yoga as exercise, known as " Iyengar Yoga", and was considered one of the foremost yoga guru ...

. The organisation had ceased operation by 1970, when Ayana and Patricia Angadi separated.

Background and early years

Ayana and Patricia Angadi

Asian Music Circle co-founder Ayana Deva Angadi came to London from

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, India, in 1924,Visram, p. 290. to gain the qualifications necessary for a top position in the

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...

, under what was then British imperial rule.Massey, p. 57. Instead, he embraced

Trotskyist Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a rev ...

political philosophy and became an outspoken critic of British imperialism. During the 1930s and 1940s, Angadi wrote journal articles (often as Raj Hansa) and gave public and school lectures throughout the UK; having joined the Labour Party, he discovered that his views were too extreme for the party's more moderate sensibilities. Angadi's 1942 treatise ''Japan's Kampf'' impressed Britain's wartime Ministry of Information, but following the war, the authorities suspected him of being an agent for

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

Cominform The Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties (), commonly known as Cominform (), was a co-ordination body of Marxist-Leninist communist parties in Europe during the early Cold War that was formed in part as a replacement of the ...

bureau."Ayana Deva Angadi"
''Making Britain'',

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

(archived version retrieved 23 September 2014). Late in 1939, Angadi met Patricia Fell-Clarke at a social event held at London's Dorchester Hotel. The daughter of a wealthy English industrialist, Patricia had similarly rejected societal norms, finding her identity as a portrait painter. Despite strong objections from her family and peers, the couple were married on

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

1943.Massey, pp. 58–59. Patricia would draw inspiration from this disapproval during her later career as a successful novelist, beginning with 1985's ''The Governess''.

Founding

The Angadis lived on the top floor of the Fell-Clarke family residence, in the north London suburb of

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

, before Patricia's inheritance allowed them to purchase their own home, a large house at 116 Fitzalan Road,

.Newman, p. 25. She and her husband founded the Asian Music Circle (AMC) in 1946, with the aim of promoting Asian arts and culture in Britain. With the Fitzalan Road property as their headquarters,Turner, p. 82. the couple went on to organise music recitals, dance performances and cultural lectures throughout the West.Lavezzoli, p. 57. Visiting performers often stayed with the family, which had grown to include four children by 1949. The third of these was

Darien Angadi Darien Robert Kabir Angadi (19 March 1949 – 5 December 1981) was an English singer and actor. Biography Darien Angadi was the son of painter and novelist Patricia Angadi (née Patricia Clare Fell-Clarke), (who introduced George Harrison of the ...

, later a choral soloist and an actor in

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

productions by

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

and

Herbert Wise Herbert Wise (31 August 1924 – 5 August 2015) was an Austrian-born film and television producer and director. He was born as Herbert Weisz in Vienna, Austria, and began his career as a director at Shrewsbury Repertory Company in 1950. He was at ...

. In his book ''Azaadi!: Stories and Histories of the Indian Subcontinent After Independence'', author and journalist Reginald Massey writes that all the Angadi children were "brilliant and beautiful", with the youngest, Chandrika (or Clare), becoming the first Asian model to appear in ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' magazine.Massey, p. 60.

1950s

Yehudi Menuhin

The Asian Music Circle's activities increased during the 1950s, such that some sources give 1953 or the mid-decade period as the date of its founding.Newman, p. 24. Patricia was appointed chairperson of the Hampstead Artists Council in 1953, and among her portrait subjects were Labour MP

Fenner Brockway Archibald Fenner Brockway, Baron Brockway (1 November 1888 – 28 April 1988) was a British socialist politician, humanist campaigner and anti-war activist. Early life and career Brockway was born to W. G. Brockway and Frances Elizabeth Abbey in ...

and the American classical violinist

. Another notable connection was

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, the English classical composer, who served as the AMC's vice-president. That same year, the AMC announced that its mission was to "

oster Oster ( uk, Осте́р ; russian: Остёр, Ostyor) is a city located where the Oster River flows into the Desna, in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast of Ukraine. Oster hosts the administration of Oster urban hromada, one of the hromadas ...

the appreciation and study of the Music and Dances of all Asian countries, thereby creating greater understanding of Asian peoples and cultures". Benjamin Britten, London Records 1968 publicity photo for Wikipedia crop

Benjamin Britten, London Records 1968 publicity photo for Wikipedia crop

Also in 1953, Menuhin became the Music Circle's president, having made a visit to India, early the previous year, that had inspired him to enlighten Western listeners to the country's musical and cultural heritage. In his 2006 book ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', author Peter Lavezzoli writes of the violinist's role in the AMC: "Menuhin was the ideal candidate for its leadership. In light of his relentless work schedule, he set about achieving his aim with remarkable speed." Britten also made a tour of India, in 1956, and began incorporating Indian and other Asian influences in his composing. In June 1958, the AMC presented an Indian music and dance program as a part of the

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festival Th ...

,Cooke, p. 214. an annual event co-founded by Britten in the late 1940s. Following Menuhin's second Indian tour, in 1954, he invited

teacher

to Europe. According to Massey, the popularity of yoga in the UK originates from the day that the Angadis hosted a demonstration by Iyengar at their north London home, attended by some of their friends.Massey, p. 58. Massey also credits the Asian Music Circle, and specifically Ayana Angadi, with "making the arts of the

subcontinent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

a part of British cultural life". The

's ''Making Britain'' project has similarly written of the AMC's achievements: "This organization introduced Indian music, dance and yoga to the British public, paving the way for musicians such as

and

First Western performances by Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar

In 1955, through his role as AMC president, Menuhin gained funding from the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

and

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

's Asia Society to stage the Living Arts of India Festival, in New York.Lavezzoli, p. 58. His original choice for the festival's featured musical performer was Ravi Shankar, after Menuhin had attended a private concert by the

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

virtuoso while in Delhi, in February 1952. Shankar was forced to turn down the opportunity, in an effort to save his failing marriage to

Annapurna Devi (1927 – 13 October 2018) was an Indian surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani classical music. She was given the name 'Annapurna' by former Maharaja Brijnath Singh of the former Maihar Estate (M.P.), and it was by this name that she was p ...

, and instead recommended his brother-in-law, master

sarod The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet ...

player Ali Akbar Khan. Ravi Shankar recording for Pather Panchali

The Living Arts festival, held in April 1955, marked both the first formal recital of Indian classical music in America, when Khan played at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

(MoMA),Ken Hunt
"Ustad Ali Akbar Khan: Sarod maestro who played with Ravi Shankar and appeared at the Concert for Bangladesh"
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 25 June 2009 (retrieved 8 December 2013). and the first appearance on US television by Indian classical artists, after Khan and his accompanists, as well as Bharat Natyam dancer Shanta Rao, performed on the arts and sciences show '' Omnibus''.Lavezzoli, p. 59. While in New York, Khan recorded '' Music of India: Morning and Evening Ragas'' (1955), the debut album release for Indian classical music.''World Music: The Rough Guide'', p. 109. In addition to concerts at the MoMA – Khan's first outside India – Menuhin and the Asian Music Circle arranged other recitals for what amounted to a short US tour. Menuhin subsequently organised for Khan to play in London later that year, at

St Pancras Town Hall Camden Town Hall, known as St Pancras Town Hall until 1965, is the headquarters of Camden London Borough Council. The main entrance is in Judd street with its northern elevation extending along Euston Road, opposite the main front of St Pancr ...

. The AMC then brought Ravi Shankar to Britain, where the

sitarist The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

made his Western concert debut in October 1956 with a performance at London's

Friends House Friends House is a multi-use building at 173 Euston Road in Euston, central London, that houses the central offices of British Quakers. The building is also the principal venue for North West London Meeting and the Britain Yearly Meeting The ...

. After Shankar's 1956 visit, arrangements for his annual UK concert tours were shared between the Music Circle and promoter John Coast. The AMC also brought sitarist

Vilayat Khan Ustad Vilayat Khan (28 August 1928 – 13 March 2004) was an Indian classical sitar player. a musician considered to be the era's leading exponent of sitar, together with Shankar.

AMC's local music network

The Music Circle maintained a list of London-based Indian musicians, who were available to visiting Indian artists, as backing players. In addition, these musicians performed locally themselves, as a group, and the Angadis offered their services for film and recording work. One such musician was

Keshav Sathe Keshav Sathe (31 January 1928 – 18 January 2012) was an Indian tabla player, best known for his contributions to the Indo-jazz fusion genre. Among his significant collaborations are the ones with Joe Harriott and John Mayer in 1965–70; Ire ...

, a

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

player from Bombay who was with the AMC over 1957–59 before going on to accompany sitarist Bhaskar Chandavarkar, a student of Shankar's.

1960s

Iyengar Yoga, South Asian dance, and the growth in Indian cultural influence

On one of B.K.S. Iyengar's visits to London in the early 1960s, he began holding instruction classes at the Fitzalan Road house, with future author and yoga practitioner Silva Mehta in attendance.Iyengar, p. xvi. The date for when these evening classes continued in Iyengar's absence, 18 July 1961, has been cited as the birth of Iyengar Yoga. Among activities by the Angadis' pool of local musicians,

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

, a staff producer with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

-owned

Parlophone Records Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 19 ...

, employed members of the AMC on a recording by comedian

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

in the early 1960s.Rodriguez, p. 114.Newman, pp. 22–23. EMI continued to use Ayana Angadi as a consultant of sorts on matters relating to Indian music. In 1962, Martin began working with a new Parlophone signing,

, whose second feature film, ''

Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles "Help! ( ...

'' (1965), reflected the West's increased interest in Indian culture. While discussing the extent of this influence by the middle of that decade, author Ray Newman quotes from the book ''The New London Spy'' by

Hunter Davies Edward Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a British author, journalist and broadcaster. His books include the only authorised biography of the Beatles. Early life Davies was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, to Scottish parents. For four ...

, who wrote: "Indian restaurants, Indian food, Indian shops, Indian cinemas, Indian concerts, Indian plays, yoga, gurus and contemplation are now all so much part of the London scene that when a grey Bentley drew into a

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The ...

petrol station recently and a 6 ft. 6 in. Sikh stepped out wearing a purple turban, green raw silk coat, white jodhpurs, gold slippers and an oriental dagger with a gem-studded hilt, the Irish attendant did not bother to take more than a passing glance." South Asian dance also achieved lasting popularity and influence in the UK for the first time. British audiences had been introduced to the discipline by

Uday Shankar Uday Shankar (8 December 1900 – 26 September 1977) was an Indian dancer and choreographer, best known for creating a fusion style of dance, adapting European theatrical techniques to Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian cl ...

's troupe during the 1920s, but South Asian dancers had struggled for recognition over the ensuing decades. According to cultural historian Naseem Khan, a "new story" began in 1966 when the Asian Music Circle presented the country's first formal Indian dances classes. The enduring success of these classes rested on the Angadis' decision to bring over, from South India, two instructors who had studied Bharat Natyam in the authentic

–kula tradition. The instructors – a married couple named Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi – went on to form a dance company with their students and tour throughout Britain, Ireland and Belgium.Khan, p. 26.

Association with the Beatles

In October 1965, Martin was producing a session for the Beatles song " Norwegian Wood", which featured

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

playing sitar, an instrument that the guitarist had never before used on a recording. When Harrison broke a string during the session, Martin suggested that the band contact Angadi to get a replacement.

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

then telephoned the Fitzalan Road house and made the request. According to the Angadis' eldest son, Shankara, the whole family delivered the new string to EMI's

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

and watched the recording being made.Newman, p. 23. Keen to progress on the instrument, Harrison received tuition from one of the Music Circle's sitar players. Harrison then became a regular visitor to Fitzalan Road, attending recitals held there with his wife,

Pattie Boyd Patricia Anne Boyd (born 17 March 1944) is an English model and photographer. She was one of the leading international models during the 1960s and, with Jean Shrimpton, epitomised the British female look of the era. Boyd married George Harri ...

.Sarah Harrison
"Patricia Angadi: Painter and novelist who introduced the Beatles to Ravi Shankar"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 17 July 2001 (retrieved 9 December 2016).Tillery, p. 55. Harrison and Boyd also had their portrait painted by Patricia during this time. The proximity to the Angadis and their network furthered Harrison's interest in Indian music and culture, which he immediately absorbed into the Beatles' work. When recording his first Indian-styled composition for the Beatles, "

Love You To "Love You To" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album '' Revolver''. The song was written and sung by George Harrison and features Indian instrumentation such as sitar and tabla. Following Harrison's introduction ...

", in April 1966, Harrison used a tabla player, Anil Bhagwat, at the recommendation of Patricia Angadi. Other AMC musicians appeared on the recording, playing tambura and sitar. Bhagwat, who was funding his university education through his musical activities, received £35 for the session and later described it as "one of the most exciting times of my life". In the pop milieu, the song marked the first example of an artist capturing a non-Western musical form authentically, in its structure and arrangement, and of Asian music being adapted without parody. Bhagwat received a credit on the band's ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'' album sleeve, a rare acknowledgement for an outside musician on a Beatles release.

Shankar and George Harrison

While also crediting the AMC with introducing Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and other leading Indian classical musicians to British audiences, Massey writes of Ayana Angadi having a "seminal" influence on Western culture, due to his role in introducing George Harrison to Ravi Shankar. The meeting occurred on 1 June 1966 when the Angadi family hosted a dinner to honour Shankar, who was in the UK for a series of performances that would include his historic duet with Menuhin at the Bath Musical Festival. Although not invited,

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

also attended the dinner, since he was eager to meet the sitarist.Newman, p. 26. Shankar agreed to accept Harrison as his sitar student, so beginning an association that, music critic Ken Hunt writes, "brought Indian music real global attention".''World Music: The Rough Guide'', pp. 109, 110. Harrison's friendship with the sitarist – already the best-known Indian classical musician internationally – increased Shankar's standing to that of a rock starPhilip Glass
"George Harrison, World-Music Catalyst and Great-Souled Man; Open to the Influence of Unfamiliar Cultures"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 9 December 2001 (retrieved 24 September 2014). and initiated Indian music's peak in popularity in the West, during the second half of the 1960s. The meeting at Fitzalan Road is covered in Ajoy Bose's 2021 documentary '' The Beatles and India'', in which Shankara Angadi describes McCartney as seeming out of his depth, but not Harrison, who Boyd says must have known Shankar "in a past life". In his review of the film for ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'',

Pete Paphides Peter Paphides (born 1969 as Panayiotakis Paphides or Panayiotis Paphides) is a British journalist and broadcaster. Early life Paphides was born in Birmingham to a Greek Cypriot father, Chris, and a Greek mother, Victoria. He has an elder broth ...

terms this initial meeting at the AMC a "momentous encounter", given the cultural impact of the Beatles' association with India.Pete Paphides
"The Beatles and India: The Maharishi, Magic Alex and some myths unravelled"
''

'', 8 October 2021 (retrieved 27 October 2021). The Asian Music Circle's cause also profited from Harrison's involvement and the heightened interest in Indian culture during this period. His visits to Fitzalan Road ended in late 1966, however. Speaking to Newman, Shankara recalled: "My father was a difficult character, in some ways. He was chaotic, and never really pulled anything off he set out to do. He probably asked George for money, and that was the end of that relationship."

Further Indian music recordings by Harrison

In March 1967, Harrison again consulted the Music Circle to find suitable musicians for one of his recordings.Lavezzoli, p. 178. The song, "

", features AMC members on instruments such as

dilruba The dilruba (also spelt dilrupa) is a bowed musical instrument originating in India. It is slightly larger than an esraj and has a larger, square resonance box. The dilruba holds particular importance in Sikh history. It became more widely k ...

and tabla, and appeared on the Beatles' seminal album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Aside from the Western string orchestration arranged and

overdubbed Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...

by Martin, and Beatles assistant

Neil Aspinall Neil Stanley Aspinall (13 October 1941 24 March 2008) was a British music industry executive. A school friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he went on to head the Beatles' company Apple Corps. The Beatles employed Aspinall first as th ...

playing one of the tambura parts, Harrison and the Indian players were the only musicians on the track. None of the Music Circle personnel were credited by name,MacDonald, p. 215. a situation that Lavezzoli finds regrettable, given the quality of the tabla and dilruba playing. Research undertaken by the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

's Department of Music has since identified the four musicians as Anna Joshi, Amrit Gajjar (both dilruba), Buddhadev Kansara (tambura) and Natwar Soni (tabla). Talking to Hunter Davies, Harrison bemoaned how, although the AMC's musicians played "much better than any Western musicians could do", the fact that they had daytime jobs and only played music part-time was reflected in their abilities in some cases. Harrison's next recordings in the genre were for the soundtrack to

Joe Massot Joe Massot (1933 – April 4, 2002) was an American writer and film director who was known for the film '' Wonderwall'' (1968) which featured a soundtrack by George Harrison, and the Led Zeppelin concert film '' The Song Remains The Same'' (197 ...

's film '' Wonderwall'', part of which was issued as his first solo album, ''

Wonderwall Music ''Wonderwall Music'' is the debut solo album by English musician George Harrison and the soundtrack to the 1968 film '' Wonderwall'', directed by Joe Massot. Released in November 1968, it was the first solo album by a member of the Beatles, and ...

'' (1968). Harrison started the sessions in November 1967, again at Abbey Road, with an unnamed tabla player among the line-up of contributors. Looking for greater authenticity, he then travelled to Bombay in January 1968 and recorded at HMV Studios with musicians including

Shivkumar Sharma Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (13 January 1938 – 10 May 2022) was an Indian classical musician and santoor player who is credited with adapting the santoor for Indian classical music. As a music composer, he collaborated with Indian flautist Ha ...

Aashish Khan Aashish Khan Debsharma (born 5 December 1939) is an Indian classical musician, a player of the sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode". He is also a reci ...

and

Hariprasad Chaurasia Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, in the Hindustani classical tradition. Early life Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (1938) (officially called Prayagraj) in the ...

Disbandment

By 1970 the Asian Music Circle had ceased operating, as the Angadis separated. That year, Angadi returned to India, and Patricia moved to a house in Hampstead's Flask Walk.Reginald Massey,
Angadi, Patricia Clare (1914–2001), novelist and painter
, oxforddnb.com (retrieved 23 November 2017; subscription required). In December 1992, George Harrison became the first recipient of the Billboard Century Award, partly through the former Beatle's "critical role in laying the groundwork for the modern concept of world music" with his Indian-influenced songs, and for his having "advanced society's comprehension of the spiritual and altruistic power of popular music". In an interview coinciding with the award, Harrison said the AMC's work had continued through the larger and more professionally organised Asian Music Circuit.Kahn, p. 504.

References

Sources

Humphrey Carpenter Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster. He is known especially for his biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inkli ...

, ''Benjamin Britten: A Biography'', Faber and Faber (London, 1992; ). *

Ian Carr Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall ...

Digby Fairweather Richard John Charles "Digby" Fairweather (born 25 April 1946) is a British jazz cornetist, author and broadcaster. Biography Before becoming a professional musician, Fairweather was a librarian and has retained an interest in jazz bibliograph ...

Brian Priestley Brian Priestley (born 10 July 1940)Many sources list Priestley's year of birth as 1946, but this is inaccurate. See Priestley's entry in ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'' anon his revised Charlie Parker study. is an English jazz writer, pianist and a ...

, ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'', Rough Guides (London, 2004; ). * Mervyn Cooke, ''Britten and the Far East: Asian Influences in the Music of Benjamin Britten'', The Boydell Press (Woodbridge, UK, 1998; ). *

(ed.), ''The New London Spy'', Anthony Blond (London, 1966; ). * Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; ). *

with Kofi Busia, ''Iyengar: The Yoga Master'', Shambhala Publications (Boston, MA, 2007; ). *

Ashley Kahn Ashley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer. Kahn graduated from Columbia University in 1983. In 2014, Kahn co-authored the autobiography of Carlos Santana, titled ''The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story To Light''. To dat ...

(ed.), ''George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters'', Chicago Review Press (Chicago, IL, 2020; ). * Naseem Khan, "South Asian Dance in Britain 1960–1995", in Alessandra Iyer (ed.), ''South Asian Dance: The British Experience'', Taylor & Francis (Abingdon, UK, 1997; ), pp. 25–30. * Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ). *

Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both ''Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from a ...

, ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; ). * Reginald Massey, ''Azaadi!: Stories and Histories of the Indian Subcontinent After Independence'', Abhinav Publications (New Delhi, NCT, 2005; ). *

Barry Miles Barry Miles (born 21 February 1943) is an English author known for his participation in and writing on the subjects of the 1960s London underground and counterculture. He is the author of numerous books and his work has also regularly appeare ...

, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ). * Ray Newman
"Chapter 2: Hunting Tigers Out in Indiah"
''Abracadabra! The Complete Story of the Beatles' Revolver'', Popkult Books (London, 2006), pp. 11–32. * Robert Rodriguez, ''Revolver: How the Beatles Reimagined Rock 'n' Roll'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2012; ). *

, ''My Music, My Life'', Mandala Publishing (San Rafael, CA, 2007

968 Year 968 ( CMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince Boris (th ...

). * Ravi Shankar, ''Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar'', Welcome Rain (New York, NY, 1999; ). *

Gary Tillery Gary Tillery is an American writer and artist known for his biographies focusing on the spiritual lives of famous figures, and for his public sculptures. His 2009 book, ''The Cynical Idealist'', was named the official book of the 2010 John Lennon ...

, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; ). * Steve Turner, ''Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year'', HarperLuxe (New York, NY, 2016; ). * Rozina Visram, ''Asians in Britain: 400 Years of History'', Pluto Press (London, 2002; ). *

Kenneth Womack Kenneth Womack (born January 24, 1966) is an American writer, literary critic, public speaker, and music historian, particularly focusing on the cultural influence of the Beatles. He is the author of the bestselling ''Solid State: The Story of A ...

, ''The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four'', ABC-CLIO (Santa Barbara, CA, 2014; ). * ''World Music: The Rough Guide (Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific)'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2000; ). {{navboxes , title=Navigation boxes related to Ravi Shankar , state=collapsed , list1= {{Bharat Ratna {{RMA winners of India {{Anoushka Shankar {{Norah Jones {{Woodstock {{George Harrison {{Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1970s {{Polar Music Prize {{Shankar family Music organisations based in the United Kingdom The Beatles and India