Ahead of her performance next Saturday, as part of an India tour, Anoushka Shankar talks music, raising a family and the freedom that writing offers her
Anoushka Shankar
Considered one of the brightest young talents to spread the love of the sitar to the world, Anoushka Shankar will perform in Mumbai as part of a multi-city tour in India. The tour is in support of her new classical album, Home. While the tour might have crossover tones, it has pure classical roots. The artiste has already finished work on her next album, Land Of Gold, which will release in spring. She will start touring the United States, and we can expect to see her back in India by the end of 2016. "The new album is not classical. It’s more experimental — it highlights issues like feminism, intolerance and migration," she tells us over the phone from London.
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Anoushka Shankar performs with sitar maestro and her late father Pandit Ravi Shankar at the Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata in 2009. Pic/AFP
When we ask her why she isn’t seen in the country more often, she confesses that touring has reduced after motherhood. "I tour for about two months as opposed to nine months. It has changed the way I work, and is not necessarily a bad thing. I record a lot more these days, and it helps me creatively. I love working with new musicians. It helps you get out of your comfort zone," explains Shankar.
"I also enjoy taking time out to write. I like penning experiences. Unlike with music, I can be very literal and straight with my writing, and I find that contrast enriching. I work as a freelance contributor with many publications," she adds.
When we tell her that we appreciated her performance in the 2004 film, Dance Like A Man, and ask her if she plans to act in films in the future, she giggles. "That was enough for me! Though it was a low-budget, small film, it was enough for me to realise that that’s not where my passion lies."
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