How Anoushka Shankar evolved the sitar beyond the shadow of her legendary father
In short: Born into Indian classical royalty, Anoushka Shankar has spent decades redefining the sitar. While she began as her father Ravi Shankar’s protégé, she has since pioneered a cross-genre sound, blending electronica, flamenco, and orchestral arrangements. From Grammy-nominated albums to film scoring, she is a singular force in contemporary global music.
Anoushka Shankar’s musical journey began at age eight under the guidance of Gaurav Mazumdar, a disciple of her father, the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. By ten, she was accompanying her father on the tanpura, and at 13, she gave her first public performance at New Delhi’s Siri Fort. Her early career was deeply intertwined with her father’s legacy; she assisted him on the 1997 album Chants of India, produced by George Harrison, where she managed notation and conducted performers. By 16, she had signed her first exclusive recording contract with Angel/EMI.
After releasing three albums of traditional Indian classical music, Shankar sought to establish an independent identity. She moved away from her father’s ensemble to tour as a solo artist, playing 50 to 60 concerts annually. This transition culminated in her 2005 album, RISE, which marked her shift toward self-produced, non-classical compositions. She continued this exploration by blending sitar with electronica on 2007’s Breathing Under Water and investigating the historical links between flamenco and Indian music on 2011’s Traveller. Her work frequently features diverse collaborators, ranging from Sting and Norah Jones to electronic producers like Gold Panda.
Shankar’s influence extends into film and social activism. She has scored projects such as the 2017 restoration of the silent film Shiraz and the 2020 BBC series A Suitable Boy. Beyond the studio, she has leveraged her platform for humanitarian causes, including benefit concerts for Syrian refugees and victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Today, she remains the sole performer of her father’s first and second concertos for sitar and orchestra, bridging the gap between the classical traditions she inherited and the modern, cross-cultural soundscapes she continues to build.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Anoushka Shankar
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/culture-anoushka-shankar.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in UK & Irish culture · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics
