The Questionnaire

Anoushka Shankar

The daughter of legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar – and half-sister to Norah Jones – has not just dared to follow in her father’s footsteps but has championed his compositions. Although The Beatles might claim to have first bridged the gap between East and West, when George Harrison incorporated sitar in Norwegian Wood and later studied the instrument with the elder Shankar, Anoushka has, in her own right, further pushed the boundaries. Interview with

Mike Alexander. What are you plugging right now?

My upcoming tour in Australia and New Zealand. I will be performing at Womad NZ and at the Auckland Arts Festival.

What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

Rain on my window pane, a warm duvet on my feet, tea in my hand, a perfect piece of music and a book.

Which living person do you most admire?

Sophie Walker, the leader of the Women’s Equality Party in the United Kingdom.

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Running home at age 14, with four or five 15-year-old boys I was excited to hang out with, and noticing that a tree in my garden had been cut down and started shouting really loudly, ‘‘Oh no, they cut my bush, they cut my bush!’’ I turned around and saw that all the boys were literally on the ground laughing.

What is your most prized material possession?

My Dad’s sitar.

What is the most adventurous thing you have done that has taken you out of your comfort zone at the time?

I recently just jumped off a rope into a waterfall in Jamaica.

What gets your back up?

Dishonesty.

If you could time travel, where would you go, and why?

I’d love to go to amazing parties in different time periods. Like go to roaring parties in the 20s, or to Woodstock in the 60s and Studio 54 in the 70s, and do the whole thing.

What life lesson would you pass on to your children?

To stay in touch with a sense of integrity and the truth about who they are.

What job would you do other than your own, and why?

I would love to be a writer. I like the direct element of expression.

If you were given three wishes that would be granted by a magic genie, what would they be?

One, guarantee that my kids are healthy and happy. Two, that I could teleport into wherever I want so I can see people I love even when I’m tour. Three, be able to fly.

Anoushka Shankar performs at Womad NZ in New Plymouth, March 16-18, and at the Auckland Arts Festival on March 18.

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