Captivating crossovers: Sitar legend Anoushka Shankar to perform in India
The sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar will be visiting India for a three-city tour in December—Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai. She recently received her eighth and ninth Grammy nominations, one for her new album Between Us... with percussionist Manu Delago and conductor Jules Buckley, and the other for Udhero Na with Arooj Aftab. The concert will be presented by Alchemist Live!
Why does this story matter?
Anoushka Shankar is a prominent figure in world music and has been breaking ground with her albums. She is the daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar, often referred to as the Godfather of World Music. From Rise (2005) to Between Us... (2022), she has experimented and incorporated new things with the Indian classical sitar. She has previously written columns for Hindustan Times.
Shankar's collaborators for the India tour
Her India tour will be in two parts. In the first half, she will be performing a set with British electronic musician Gold Panda. They will be using her father's recording samples and conversations and will make music around them. In the second half, there will be a musical quintet of clarinetist Arun Ghosh, percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah, drummer Sarathy Korwar, and bassist Tom Farmer.
'Reunion' with the roots
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Shankar said that she is really excited to be back in India. She is looking forward to reconnecting with her friends and family and also introducing the Indian culture to her children, Mohan and Zubin. She hails from the famous Shankar family of Kolkata and has spent a significant part of her growing-up years in New Delhi.
Strings of change
Shankar has used her music as a tool to speak out to the world. She has been one of the strongest voices against oppression around the world. Her Grammy-nominated Land of Gold (2016) deals with the ongoing humanitarian refugee crisis. The composition In Jyoti's name in Traces of You (2014) was her response after the gruesome Delhi rape case in 2012.
Tour details
In Bangalore, she will be performing at Good Shepherd Auditorium on December 11, 2022. It also coincides with Panditji's 10th death anniversary. In Mumbai, she will be performing at Shanmukhananda Hall on December 16, 2022. Her final performance of the Anoushka Shankar Project India Tour will be taking place at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi on December 18, 2022.
