HYDERABAD: On Sunday, December 11, the fourth death anniversary of Pandit Ravi Shankar, is renowned sitarist daughter, Anoushka Shankar, came back to the City of Nizams for a concert highlighting music from her latest Grammy-nominated album, “Land of Gold”. Her performance and her presence, cast nothing short of a spell, for almost two hours that she took the stage. Shankar and the stellar musicians who accompanied her made sure that the finale of her six-city, all-India tour for her latest, won’t be forgotten by Hyderabadis soon.
The six-time Grammy nominated artiste began sans any introductions, with her brand of music – a melange of immersive, meditative and times beautifully discordant notes of sitar with a blend of jazz, electronica with Shankar’s classical sitar. The packed audience comprised people from all age groups and also countries. For instance, there was someone from Vienna as well. On the stage, she was accompanied by Manu Delago on hank drums, Tom Farmer on double bass/keyboards and Sanjeev Shankar on Shehnai. “I am excited to be back in Hyderabad,” said Anoushka as she paused for a while after playing a haunting jugalbadhi with Sanjeev Shankar.
“I have special memories of this place – my parents got married here when I was seven,” said the six-time Grammy-nominated sitarist, adding that she had come here after her parents, Pt Ravi Shankar and Sukanya, completed 20 years of being their marriage.
“The album was written in the last two years, in response to the refugee crisis,” she said talking about her
latest album, You can find traces of “pain, anger, outrage,” Shankar stated, adding , “It’s dark, but not all dark, there’s pain, hope and love.” From her latest album, she played ‘’Crossing the Rubicon,” “Secret Heart”, the title track, Land of Gold and more before ending with the lullaby-theme, “Say Your Prayers”. Although “Crossing the Rubicon” began on a slightly discordant note, inducing fear and disturbance, then smoothens out, stirrings a variety of emotions in the listener like pain, sorrow it later veers towards melodies that
What strikes you most about the sitar goddess apart from her music, beautiful smile and eyes that can light up a thousand miles is her ability to fuse narratives with her music. Not only did she give the audience some memorable anecdotes associated with the tour but also interlaced the tracks with a reading of news, talking about the refugee crisis. Her music was a commentary on modern-day American politics as well.
Before she played, “Dissolving Boundaries,” she said, “We started the tour in April when the then United States presidential nominee-Donald
Trump was talking about building walls and as artistes, we attempt to break it, so we just keep going,”
said Anoushka with a smile.
The audience remained wholly drawn towards the music, lost with their eyes closed, responding with a peals of thunderous applause after the completion of her sets. She ended the concert with the track, “Say Your Prayers,” based on a lullaby theme. Shankar and her fellow musicians was worth every bit of the standing ovation they received.
“We wish she comes back here soon to play again,” said one of the listeners as she left, echoing the sentiments of every member in the audience.