Such a long journey

Anoushka Shankar is growing out of her shadows. A long shadow in the form of her father Pt. Ravi Shankar,who first introduced Indian classical music to Western audiences,and a smaller shadow cast by half-sister Norah Jones,who has established herself as a jazz singer,are being relegated to the past as Anoushka begins to assert herself in her latest album Traveller,a powerful piece of work spread over 11 sensational tracks.

She calls Traveller an exploration between Indian and Spanish classical music. There are many intricate rhythms throughout the album. It was a moving and exciting experience for me to record. While it was a lot of fun doing this album,I also grew a lot through Traveller, she says,in her slightly accented English from her home in London.

The growth is visible throughout the album. Traveller is,in many ways,Anoushkas seminal work. Various stage collaborations later,the sitarist has collaborated with Spanish composer Javier Limon. The sitar competes with flamenco on many tracks,creating a jugalbandi completely unique and soothing to the ears. In fact,the second track of the album,Buleria con ricardo,is a six-minute long track that mixes Indian and Spanish instrumentation so well that it easily becomes a winner. For Indian fans,Shubha Mudgal sings Brindabon aer kaalo chhele in Krishna,a lilting melody in Bengali. Other talents on the album include Tanmay Bose,Pepe Habichuela,Sandra Carrasco and Duquende.

As one listens to the album,the presense of beats and a general feeling of upbeatness gets harder to ignore. It is quite different from her previous works such as Rise,a collection of songs that sounded like hymns with their slow pace and sitar-heavy arrangement. This is not to say that the sitar does not feature in Traveller. In fact,the latter half of the album that feature songs like Traveller,Kanya and ISHQ are in keeping with Anoushkas previous works.

However,the changes on the other tracks are quite upfront. There are no subtle hints for the listener to decipher. The pace,too,is a welcome change and is more in keeping with todays fast times. The sitarist herself feels the change. Rise was a mellow album where the sitar played a major part. With Traveller,I was writing and composing as well while my sitar played a smaller part. Traveller is more upbeat and will hopefully have more impact on listeners, she says.

I identify with Traveller because that is what I have been ever since I can remember. Throughout my life,I have moved between different places and continents. In the album,one will find references to my moving culture. From Indian classical music,which forms the base of my music,to Western genres that I encountered later,everything is on display here, Anoushka,who moves often between her London home,US and India,says about the genesis of the album.

But more than her desire to show her influences,it is the variety that Traveller affords to the listener that stands out. It is not a simple sitar,shehnai and Flamenco arrangement. The respect to Spanish culture is also audible. Speaking about the arrangement of the songs,Anoushka says,There are a lot of percussion instruments from both the cultures used throughout the album. The songs have been composed in such a way that each traditions features get highlighted without overpowering the other.

She credits Limon for the sound of the album saying that the musical chemistry between them was a major factor in creating the songs. I needed somebody passionate and knowledgeable to work on the Spanish side of the album as I was doing for the Indian side and I am so glad to have collaborated with Limon. He was truly brilliant and I am glad our chemistry shows in the album. Deutsche Grammophon brought out the album in Europe after Pt. Ravi Shankar popularised Indian classical music through his association with the Beatles. The record company is a great classical standing label that has now brought out Traveller. My father has a long-standing tradition and a strong place in the West,so I did not have to sell Indian classical to Deutsche Grammophon, she says.

Anoushka,who has collaborated with famous names like Lenny Kravitz and Herbie Hancock,says that she learns about music from everyone with whom she works. She says that performing with Sting when she was just 20 was one the most challenging and engaging moment of her life. I have been influenced by everyone I have worked with. Even if its a song that I know I will never write,collaborations have added a great deal to my musical vocabulary, she adds.

The very many responsibilities of the past year seem to have brought out her inner persona. Married to British film director Joe Wright,the sitarist became a mother in February this year after giving birth to a son,Zubin Shankar Wright. Soon after this,she was appointed as the brand ambassador for Plan Indias Let Girls Be Born campaign to raise awareness about the issues surrounding female foeticide apart from still being associated with PETA and United Nations World Food Programme. She then began touring extensively with her son across Europe to promote Traveller.

Anoushka previously toured India in 2008 along with British rocker Jethro Tull,only a few days after the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26. Anoushka will begin her tour from Mumbai on January 13 and Delhi on January 15 as part of VH1 Handpicked before moving on to Jaipur,Chennai,Bengaluru,Guwahati and Kolkata.

After more than a decade doing Indian classical music,ask her what is the most important she has learnt and she responds after a lingering second,saying,I have learnt to let go. Just like travellers who set out on long journeys are known to do.

priyanko.sarkarexpressindia.com