''Joi Bangla'' is an EP by Indian

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

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 ...

, issued in August 1971 on

Apple Records Apple Records is a record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mar ...

. The recording was produced by

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 ...

and its release marked the first in a series of occasional collaborations between the two musicians that lasted until the ''

Chants of India ''Chants of India'' is an album by Indian musician Ravi Shankar released in 1997 on Angel Records. Produced by his friend and sometime collaborator George Harrison, the album consists of Vedic and other Hindu sacred prayers set to music, marking ...

'' album in 1997. Shankar recorded the EP in Los Angeles, to help raise international awareness of the plight faced by refugees of the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

, in advance of his and Harrison's

Concert for Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country's name was originally spelt)Harry, p. 135. was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were ...

shows at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, New York. Side one of the disc consists of two vocal compositions sung in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, of which the title track was a message of unity to the newly independent nation, formerly known as

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

. The third selection is a duet by Shankar and

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 ...

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 ...

, supported by

Alla Rakha Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000), popularly known as Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player who specialized in Hindustani classical music. He was a frequent accompanist of sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and was ...

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� ...

, a performance that presaged their opening set at the Concert for Bangladesh. ''Joi Bangla'' was the first of four Shankar-related releases on

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 ...

' Apple label, closely followed by the ''

Raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

'' soundtrack album. The EP has been out of print since soon after its release. Of the three tracks, only "Oh Bhaugowan" has been reissued – on the Harrison-compiled '' Ravi Shankar: In Celebration'' box set (1996).

Background

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

i by birth,

was deeply concerned by the plight of the

cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

- and war-ravaged people of

during the first six months of 1971. To help raise funds to try to alleviate the misery, he turned to his friend

,Raghavan, pp. 146–47. then riding a wave of popularity with the success of his first post-

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

solo album, ''

All Things Must Pass ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the h ...

''. Within six weeks,

in New York was booked for two

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

shows on Sunday, 1 August; Western stars such as

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

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 ...

and

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

had pledged to be there; and Harrison's purpose-made single "

Bangla Desh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

" was receiving airplay on US radio. Shankar later described it as a "miracle", the speed at which Harrison had made things happen.Olivia Harrison, p. 286. According to Shankar, speaking in London later in August, Harrison wrote "Bangla Desh" within three hours of their conversation about the refugee crisis. Shankar said he then wrote "Joi Bangla" as an improvisation on Harrison's melody.Chris Welch, "Shankar ... Spreading Peace and Music", ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'', 14 August 1971, pp. 1, 11.

Recording

With the Apple documentary film ''

'' in post production and awaiting release, the Beatles' record label would also be issuing a Shankar benefit disc,Spizer, p. 341. a three-track EP. For the sessions in mid July,Castleman & Podrazik, p. 103. most likely held at the

Record Plant West The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

like Harrison's,Madinger & Easter, p. 434. Shankar wrote a new composition, "Joi Bangla", which became the EP's title track. As with the ''Raga'' soundtrack album, ''Joi Bangla'' was produced by Harrison.Rodriguez, p. 236. Harrison's single had targeted listeners in the West with its call to "Relieve the people of Bangla Desh". Shankar instead addressed the victims themselves, as his "distant relatives" and his guru's family were among the tens of thousands pouring into neighbouring India. The lyrics are sung in

, Shankar's first language. Apple's picture sleeve provided an English translation, in which Shankar calls on Bangladeshis to "be triumphant", and for unity "beyond conscience or creed". The song title translates as "Victory to Bangladesh" and was taken from "

Joy Bangla Joy Bangla ( bn, জয় বাংলা) is a slogan and war cry used in Bangladesh and India's West Bengal, Tripura, Barak Valley and Manbhum District to indicate nationalism towards the geopolitical, cultural and historical region of Benga ...

", the slogan adopted by the Bangladesh Forces (

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

) during the war. In India at this time, "Joi Bangla" was a form of greeting between people sympathetic to Bangladesh's struggle for independence. The EP's other vocal performance was "O Bhaugowan". In this song, Shankar provided what author Peter Lavezzoli describes as "a prayer for help",Lavezzoli, p. 190. asking: "O God, where have you gone / ... Sickness, cyclones, floods / Are upon us / Do you not care for us?" The final selection, "Raga Mishra Jhinjhoti", was a

and

jugalbandi A jugalbandi or jugalbandhi is a performance in Indian classical music, especially in Hindustani classical music but also in Carnatic, that features a duet of two solo musicians. The word jugalbandi means, literally, "entwined twins." The duet ca ...

'' (duet) in dadra tal, featuring Shankar and

, with

. According to a note on the picture sleeve, the piece was inspired by the folk melodies of Bengal.Sleeve credits, ''Joi Bangla'' EP (

, 1971; produced by George Harrison).

Release

Apple Records issued the ''Joi Bangla'' EP in America on 9 August (as Apple 1838) − eight days after the

shows − and on 27 August in Britain (Apple 37). In an interview with ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' on 3 August, Shankar expressed relief that months of personal anguish over the crisis had come to an end, saying, "With George's single, 'Bangla Desh', my single, the film that has been made of the concert, the ivealbum coming out and whatever the gate monies from this concert ... it will all add up to a substantial amount." He added that the funds raised would be minuscule relative to the size of the problem, but young people had been galvanised, and: "It is like trying to ignite – to pass on the responsibilities as much as possible to everyone else. I think this aim has been achieved." The songs on side one of the record were credited to "Ravi Shankar & Chorus", while side two's duet was credited to Shankar, Khan and Rakha. Khan's name also appeared on the picture sleeve's front cover, given equal billing as Shankar, while Rakha's appeared on the reverse. In ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

'',

Duncan Fallowell Duncan Fallowell (born 1948) is an English novelist, travel writer, memoirist, journalist and critic. Early life Fallowell was born on 26 September 1948 in London. His family later moved to Somerset and Essex before settling in Berkshire. While ...

wrote of Shankar's gesture towards his homeland:

Ravi Shankar decided to make public his concern for the events in Bengal in the only way which now makes sense, by supporting the Free Bengal movement against the horrifying brutality of their military overlords from
West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
... With the same destination in view, Apple have released George Harrison's record, ''Bangla Desh'', and one also from Mr Shankar, ''Joi Bangla'', at 49 pence each, both worth it. The first is George at his most sinuous and plaintive ... the second has the kind of high spirits encountered in musicals shown at the Godeon inema
Southall Southall () is a large suburban county of West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns. It is situated west of Charing Cross and had a population of 69,857 as of 2011. It is generally divided ...
(these musicals by the way, produced in prodigious quantities, are – let me warn you – tragically addictive).

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' recognised Shankar as Bengal's "foremost musician" whose new release coincided with "the eyes of the world focused on the tragedy of Bangla Desh". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described "Joi Bangla" as "Intriguing raga sparkling with the George Harrison production touch". The reviewer said that the chorus singing added a degree of commercial appeal and the song was sure to gain extensive play on FM and underground radio. In January 1972, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' listed "Joi Bangla" and "Oh Bhaugowan" together at number 4 in a chart compiled by Poland's Music Clubs' Co-Ordination Council.

Legacy

Shankar and Harrison's efforts to raise awareness of the refugees' plight ensured that the crisis became a central issue in the West. In mid August 1971, Shankar told ''

'' that Indian music was now more popular than ever before in the West, adding that he, Rakha and their accompanists might perform some of the songs at his upcoming concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London. Following the example set by Shankar and Harrison's topical records,

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

wrote the poem "

September on Jessore Road "September on Jessore Road" is a poem by American poet and activist Allen Ginsberg, inspired by the plight of the East Bengali refugees from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Ginsberg wrote it after visiting the refugee camps along the Jessore Ro ...

", after visiting the area, and

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

wrote "Song for Bangladesh", released in 1972. ''Joi Bangla'' was the only extended-play release by an Apple Records artist (discounting promotional EPs, where two or more acts from the Apple roster were combined). Among latter-day reviewers, author

Alan Clayson Alan Clayson (born 3 May 1951, Dover, Kent) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts. In addition to contributing to publications such as ' ...

considers the title track "more melodiously uplifting than any other of George arrisons Indo-pop productions". Writing on the occasion of the ''

'' film's DVD release in 2005, Francis C. Assisi, a reviewer for ''The Canadian India Times'' in the early 1970s, recalled the juxtaposition of reading about the "holocaust" caused by the Bangladesh Liberation War and the regional cyclone, and seeing his two-year-old son "joyfully revelling in the recently released Ravi Shankar–Ali Akbar Khan duet 'Joi Bangla'".Francis C. Assisi
"After 34 years, The Concert for Bangladesh Just Keeps on Giving"
INDOlink.com, 28 October 2005 (archived version retrieved 3 September 2020). In his book on Harrison's musical career, Simon Leng describes "Raga Mishra Jhinjhoti" as "stirring ... masterful performance" and similarly highlights "Oh Bhaugowan" for its "impassioned and moving appeal for divine assistance".Leng, p. 112. The songs on ''Joi Bangla'' received little in the way of repackaging after their original 1971 release. "Oh Bhaugowan" was included on the ''

In Celebration ''In Celebration'' is a 1975 British drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. It is based in the 1969 stage production of the same name by David Storey which was also directed by Anderson. The movie was produced and released as part of the Amer ...

'' box set (1996), appearing on disc four, which contains, in the words of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Bruce Eder, "the lion's share of the 1970s vintage material recorded under the auspices of Harrison, as well as capturing Shankar working in a vocal music mode (including his own vocals, which are astonishingly beautiful and affecting)".Bruce Eder
"Ravi Shankar ''Shankar: In Celebration''"

(retrieved 15 February 2012).

Track listing

All selections written by

, except where noted. ;Side one ''Credited to Ravi Shankar & Chorus'' #"Joi Bangla" – 3:18 #"Oh Bhaugowan" – 3:35 ;Side two ''Credited to Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan with Alla Rakha'' #"Raga Mishra Jhinjhoti" (PD) – 6:52

Personnel

– vocals,

, direction *

–

* G.S. Sachdev –

bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal like material used in Hindustani classical music. It is referred to as ''nadi'' and ''tunava'' in the ''Ri ...

Sanjukta Ghosh Sanjukta Ghosh is an Indian vocalist in Hindustani classical music from the Patiala Gharana. Early life Initially, she was under the guidance of Prasun Banerjee and later, for almost two decades, from Munawar Ali Khan. Career She performed for ...

– vocals * Shubho Shankar – vocals, sitar *

Harihar Rao Harihar Rao (January 21, 1927 – January 13, 2013) was an Indian-born American musician, noted for playing tabla and sitar. He was born into a prominent musical family in Mangalore, India. He moved to the United States in 1964, residing in Pasa ...

–

ektara Ektara ( bn, একতারা, hi, एकतारा, ur, اِک تارا, ne, एकतारे, pa, ਇਕ ਤਾਰਾ, ta, எக்டரா; literally 'one-string', also called actara, iktar, ektar, yaktaro, gopichand, gopichant, ...

– ''unspecified'' * ''unnamed "Chorus" singers and musicians'' –

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

, percussion

References

Sources

* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ). * Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; ). *

, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; ). * The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; ). *

, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; ). *

Olivia Harrison Olivia Trinidad Harrison (née Arias; born May 18, 1948) is an American author and film producer, and the widow of English musician George Harrison of the Beatles. She first worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, for A&M Records, where s ...

, ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Abrams (New York, NY, 2011; ). * Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ). * Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ). * Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; ). *

Srinath Raghavan Srinath Raghavan is an Indian historian of contemporary history. He is a professor of history and international relations at Ashoka University and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also a visiting senior r ...

,
1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh
', Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA, 2013; ). * Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; ). *

Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients includ ...

, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; ). *

, ''My Music, My Life'', Mandala Publishing (San Rafael, CA, 2007; ). *

Bruce Spizer David "Bruce" Spizer (born July 2, 1955) is a tax attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, who is also recognized as an expert on the Beatles. He has published thirteen books, and is frequently quoted as an authority on the history of the band and ...

, ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; ). *

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; ). * ''World Music: The Rough Guide (Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific)'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2000; ). {{George Harrison 1971 EPs Apple Records singles Albums produced by George Harrison Charity singles