Ravi Shankar
ListenRaga Marwa · 1948
Ravi Shankar with Jnan Prakash Ghosh on tabla — “Raga Marwa,” transferred from HMV N. 16996, matrix OMC 23093.
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1948 · His Master’s Voice
Raga Marwa Vilambit / Raga Hemant Drut
Before his sitar became familiar to audiences around the world, Ravi Shankar had traded a life touring with his brother’s dance troupe for years of intensive musical study. This early Indian HMV record belongs to the period when he was establishing himself as a solo performer. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0110 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Pandit Ravi Shankar |
| Release | 1948 · India |
| Label | His Master’s Voice · N. 16996 |
| Format | 10-inch shellac single · 78 rpm |
| Issue | Original Indian commercial issue |
| Runouts | A: OMC. 23093 B: OMC. 23094 |
| Recorded grade | VG+ |
Release history and significance
Shankar first travelled to Paris with Uday Shankar’s dance troupe at ten. As a teenager he toured Europe and America, encountering Western music and culture while learning dance and Indian instruments. In 1938 he left that life to study with Allauddin Khan in Maihar, completing his training in 1944. [2]
The 1948 HMV issue presents two short sitar performances, “Raga Marwa Vilambit” and “Raga Hemant Drut,” with tabla accompaniment credited to Jnan Prakash Ghosh. It is among Shankar’s earliest documented commercial solo records. Alain Daniélou’s 1952 UNESCO catalogue lists N. 16996 under “Ravindra Shankar,” alongside a later-numbered HMV record. [1] [3]
These compact shellac sides preceded the longer performances on Three Ragas, recorded in 1956. Shankar’s later appearances at Monterey in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969 brought him to a very different audience, years after this Indian record had introduced his playing to listeners at home. [2]
Market context
Discogs lists sales between US$40.70 and US$45, with a median of US$42.85, for this edition as of 13 September 2026. [1]
Physical Description
A 10-inch shellac record with His Master’s Voice labels bearing text in Roman, Urdu and Devanagari scripts. Both labels carry a small ink stamp. The disc is housed in a generic sleeve. [1]
Condition
Graded VG+, with surface gloss, light to moderate wear and superficial marks. Playback is described as strong for the grade. The labels retain clear printing apart from the small ink stamps.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller scarcesounds, Ross Laird, on 2 May 2026.
Sources
- Discogs, Pandit Ravi Shankar — Raga Marwa / Raga Hemant, release 12576656. 1948 HMV N. 16996 issue, performance credits, matrices and sales history.
- Polar Music Prize, Ravi Shankar. Childhood touring, training in Maihar, early HMV recordings and international career.
- Alain Daniélou, A Catalogue of Recorded Classical and Traditional Indian Music, UNESCO, 1952. Contemporary listing of HMV N. 16996 under Ravindra Shankar.
- Warren Senders, Ravi Shankar — Raga Marwa. Transfer identified as HMV N. 16996, OMC 23093, with Jnan Prakash Ghosh on tabla.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.