Mumbai, Oct 28 (IANS): Acclaimed sitar player, composer and Grammy-nominee Anoushka Shankar, who is the daughter of sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar, is returning to India after 2 years for a three-city tour in support of her new music releases in December.
The tour will start on December 11 at Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bengaluru, followed by Shanmukhananda Auditorium in Mumbai on December 16 and culminating at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi on December 18. It will see the 7-time Grammy-nominated artiste presenting ‘The Anoushka Shankar Project' which she has been performing live since 2007.
Anoushka will be seen navigating through experimental and exciting new sonic vistas throughout her performance and presenting an invigorating perspective on Indian classical music.
Elaborating on the India tour and her new music releases, Anoushka Shankar shared, "I'm beyond excited to finally return to India to perform after such a long gap. I feel I'm in a different place musically and creatively now, and I can't wait to share this new and exciting show with my audiences in India. I'm blessed to have a group of truly exceptional musicians joining me this time and I hope people enjoy the music".
In the first half of the evening, Anoushka will be joined by British electronic musician Gold Panda (aka Derwin Decker) in interpreting the legacy of the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar. The duo will form a collaborative bridge between the electronic and classical instrumental worlds inspired by and referencing several of the late maestro's compositions.
In the second half of the evening, a quintet of musicians comprising clarinettist Arun Ghosh, Carnatic percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah, drummer Sarathy Korwar and upright bassist Tom Farmer will accompany Anoushka for an inventive exploration of selected works from her own repertoire including her recently released digital album ‘Between Us'.
As a mark of respect and as a reflection of her outrage, on December 16 - the 10th anniversary of the horrific Nirbhaya gang rape, Anoushka will be releasing a reimagined version of her 2013 track ‘In Jyoti's Name' from her album ‘Traces Of You'. Titled ‘In Her Name', she will be performing the world premiere of this new song on its release day at the Mumbai show. This extended arrangement will include other, powerful female voices and has a specially written poem by acclaimed poet Nikita Gill.
Talking about ‘In Her Name', Anoushka Shankar added, "How is it that ten years after the heartbreaking gang rape and murder that sent shockwaves of horror around the world, we are still inundated by stories of women who are attacked, murdered, policed, and unable to live in freedom and safety? The same ripping feeling in my gut that I felt in 2012 manifests over and over when I read of any one of these precious losses of life. With ‘In Her Name', we have tried to broaden the lens across the current global female experience, fighting for safety, for freedom from fear and for freedom of choice".