Anoushka Shankar
Elbphilharmonie World
Anoushka Shankar has long outgrown the shadow of her world-famous father. The daughter of sitar virtuoso and hippy icon Ravi Shankar has already been nominated for five Grammy Awards and is regarded today as one of the leading figures in the world music scene, with her own unique style.
She is, however, indebted to her father for setting her on her musical path. Born in London in 1981, Anoushka Shankar began to learn the sitar – an instrument traditionally only played by men in India – at the tender age of nine under his guidance. She made her stage debut and released her first album while still a teenager.
After initially concentrating her attentions on classical Indian music and its spiritual dimension, her style later developed in the direction of flamenco and jazz, as well as electronic sounds and western classical music. Anoushka Shankar continues to make conscious reference to her father’s musical legacy to this day and all her songs feature the characteristic effervescent, meditative sound of the sitar.
Performers
Anoushka Shankar sitar
Sanjeev Shankar shehnai
Manu Delago hang, electronic drums
Tom Farmer double bass, keyboard