Speaking Through Her Sitar

It was her father who heralded a new dawn with the Sitar. Today, daughter Anoushka Shankar has made a place for herself with the same instrument.

Anoushka Shankar in all her glory; Source: The Times Of India

It was the occasion of her father’s 75th birthday. New Delhi’s Siri Fort was all decked up to celebrate this grand occasion. Anoushka Shankar, 13 years at the time was to give her first solo public stage performance. Maestro Zakir Hussain was on the table and she was on the Sitar. Talent exuded from her as if the Goddess Saraswati had herself come down to Earth. A starry debut, the world was introduced to Anoushka.

A musician who doesn’t shy away from experimentation, an artist who lets her feelings pour over her creations, and an activist who chooses to express her concerns through her performances, Sitarist Anoushka Shankar is not just any ordinary performer. Daughter to Pandit Ravi Shankar, and sister to Nora Shankar, she has found her perfect match in the Sitar.

Sitar, a plucked, stringed musical instrument that has been a constant in the Indian musical arena. While some say it was invented by Amir Khusraw, others believe that it first appeared in 10th century southern India. Although a part of our rich past, it was most favourably Ravi Shankar who popularised the instrument during the 50s and 60s. The West was charmed by the pure melody and intricacy of the sur that wafted from the stringed sitar. Today, it is perhaps Anoushka Shankar who is single-handedly carrying on with this rich legacy. Her other-worldly performances not only remind us of our heritage but also directs us toward its future, with the changing form and style of the Sitar.

Born on 9th June 1981, the musician is the daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Shankar. Born in a famous family, her childhood was not restricted to any one place. From London to Delhi, Anoushka grew up in different places. However, the sitar remained her forever-friend as she started training at the young age of seven. Just three years into her training, the young Anoushka was soon accompanying her father to his performances.

Her first album ‘Anoushka’ was released in 1998 even before she left the boundaries of her high school. Later she made up her mind to pursue music instead of going to university. One album followed the other as she deep-dived into the world of music.

Anoushka was soon nominated for Grammy in the World Music category becoming its youngest nominee.

However, Anoushka is not just a mere performer. She has a penchant for the extraordinary. In a bold step, she collaborated with Karsh Kale that mixed electronica beats and sitar. In her hands, the Sitar has been re-invented successfully. Her music not only speaks of our rich tradition but voices out empathy and concern with different issues of the world.

Following the brutal gang rape in 2013 that shook India, she worked with an online campaign called the One Billion Rising, an attempt to provide women with safe spaces. She has also been vocal about animal rights and has supported the cause for the same.

Today, she chooses to express her feelings with music and is in the exploration of the same. A performer of her own making, Anoushka Shankar is creating melodious waves on the global stage.