MUMBAI: Legendrary sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar has become the latest musician to have floated an independent music label, called East Meets West Music (EMWMusic) 

In the last couple of years, many prominent Indians musicians have commenced venturing into the music business on their own, mostly due to growing dissatisfaction with the way big music labels in the country function 

In the recent months, musicians like  A R Rahman (KM Music), Sivamani (KVKM Records), Shubha Mudgal (Underscore Records), Vishal - Shekhar (VS Music) and Anup Jalota (Shabd and Sur) have ventured into the music label territory 

The name of the New York headquartered label, East Meets West, points to the Shankar philosophy of exploration, experimentation and cross-pollination. The vast archive features performances and appearances by an extraordinarily eclectic cast of musicians from across the globe.

An official statement says, "With the creation of EMWMusic, Ravi Shankar bridges any divide between his recorded music and his audience." 

Interestingly, through this music label, listeners will be able to access rare archives featuring thousands of hours of live performance audio, film footage, interviews, and studio masters. Through the label, the legendary sitar player hopes to provide a glimpse into what has most inspired and shaped him in his 70-plus years on stage 

This new label is also aimed at providing platform for new artists, projects, and collaborations 

"There is something beautiful about the stage. There is a performer and there is an audience. Nothing is in the way. The sound remains pure and unburdened by things like marketing and distribution. My hope is for this label to be more like a stage and less like the music business as I have experienced it," Shankar says  

The label's debut release, Nine Decades: Volume One, is scheduled for Pt. Ravi Shankar's 90th birthday on 7 April  2010. The Nine Decades series will feature rare live performances hand-picked by Ravi. The series will focus, decade by decade, on performances that are particularly meaningful to the artist himself. In the fall of 2010, EMWMusic will release the George Harrison produced documentary on Pt. Ravi Shankar, called Raga. The soundtrack to the film will also be available 

The label has also launched its new website, EastMeetsWestMusic.com that features release updates and performance information about Pt. Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar. The website recently announced their plans to issue the movie "Raga," a 1971 documentary about Ravi Shankar that features George Harrison, on both DVD and CD in October. The soundtrack was originally issued on Apple Records.