Daughter of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar to perform six shows in India during her father’s 10th death anniversary
British-Indian-American sitar player Anoushka Shankar is worried that her planned tour of India during her father’s 10th death anniversary may be “shaky” as her accompanying British musicians are unable to get Indian visas.
Daughter of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, she has now sought Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar’s help to get visa appointments for them so that her tour to perform six shows in India this after a gap of three years this December may go ahead as planned.
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“Performing 6 shows in India after a gap of 3 years this December, during the 10th anniversary of my father @ragaravishankar passing. But now the tour seems shaky as my accompanying British musicians are unable to get visa appointments!
“Please help @[email protected],” she tweeted Thursday.
Anoushka, 41, was the youngest and first woman to receive a British House of Commons Shield; she has had seven Grammy Awards nominations and was the first Indian musician to perform live and to serve as presenter at the ceremony.
Through her father, she is also the half-sister of American singer Norah Jones (born Geetali Norah Shankar), and Shubhendra “Shubho” Shankar, who died in 1992.
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Anoushka is the sole performer of Ravi Shankar’s First and Second Concertos for Sitar and Orchestra since the composer’s death, performing multiple times under the leadership of esteemed conductors such as legendary Zubin Mehta, Jules Buckley, Kristjan Järvi, and Jakob Hrusa.
In January 2009 she was the sitar soloist alongside the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra premiering her father’s Third Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra, and in July 2010 she premiered Ravi Shankar’s first symphony for sitar and orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
She has also performed in duets with artists such as violinist Joshua Bell, in a sitar-cello duet with Mstislav Rostropovich, and with flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, playing both sitar and piano.
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Anoushka was born in London and her childhood was divided between London and Delhi. As a teenager, Anoushka lived in Encinitas, California, and attended San Dieguito High School Academy. A 1999 honors graduate and Homecoming Queen, she decided to pursue a career in music rather than attend college.