MUMBAI: Sony Music, the global music giant, in collaboration with East Meets West Music announced an exclusive licensing agreement where Sony Music India will release a range of rare recordings of the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar’s music in India in addition to other titles from the record.

Sony Music released the first of the recordings, titled ‘The Living Room Sessions Part I and II’, on 11 December 2016, which is now available across all digital platforms.

Sony will also release physical CDs in near future.

East Meets West Music is the official recording label of The Ravi Shankar Foundation and the record label has sole access to Ravi Shankar’s archive where thousands of hours of live performance audio, film footage, interviews, and studio masters are stocked.

Commenting on the same Pt. Ravi Shankar’s wife Sukanya Shankar says, “..this was his dream, to have a way to bring his rare and never-before-released material to India. We are happy and grateful to Sony Music for partnering with us and helping to bring this treasure trove of music to his fans.”

Sony Music India Director International Music and Special projects, Arjun Sankalia added, “It is an honour and a privilege to be associated with the great Pt. Ravi Shankar and his music. His virtuosity as a musician is unparalleled. It is with great joy and pride that we bring these recordings to the Indian market.”

Under this agreement, the next year will see a special release that debuts exclusively in India and Middle East regions. East Meets West Music plans to work with Sony Music India on special projects exclusive to the region.

In an effort to promote India’s rich musical heritage across the globe, Sony Music India has released rare recordings of a number of legendary Indian music artists including Pandit Jasraj, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Allahrakha, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Dr Balamurali Krishna, to name a few.