Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Shankar and Her Many Strings Stun Lisner

BY WILLIAM BEALS

Sitar player Anoushkar Shankar performed Friday evening for a sold-out crowd at Lisner Auditorium.  The nearly two hour performance was highlighted by passionate performances by Shankar and her supporting band.

The performance included five other backing artists, who provided percussions, vocals, cello and piano.  The concert was to promote Shankar’s seventh studio album, “Traces of You”, her first album release since her 2011 Grammy nominated album, “Traveler.”

The concert began with a standing ovation and ended with cheers for an encore. The artists were happy to oblige. 

Shankar began training on the sitar with her father as a child. Consisting of a couple sessions per week, practice began at the age of ten. Shankar gave her first public performance at the age of 13 at Siri Fort in New Delhi. By the age of14, she was accompanying her father at concerts around the world. She signed her first record contract with Angel Records at the age of 16.

Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of famed sitar player Ravi Shankar, who gained international fame in the 1960s, and taught George Harrison of “The Beatles.”  Anoushka Shankar is also the half sister of singer songwriter Norah Jones.

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