Anoushka Shankar is loving the single life
It’s never easy to find inspiration in pain. But Anoushka Shankar seems to have done it successfully. The British-Indian sitar player separated from her husband, British director Joe Wright in 2018 after seven years of marriage. Anoushka’s latest EP Love Letters draws inspiration from her personal life and what she went through when her marriage collapsed. “A lot of the songs on Love Letters were written whilst my marriage ended. But it is not entirely biographical. The process of a relationship coming to an end inspired me to write some sad, introverted or contemplative songs,” says the 38-year-old musician.
The daughter of late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, Anoushka never stayed in the shadow of her dad’s great accomplishments. She came on her own at a young age with her popular albums Breathing Under Water (in collaboration with Karsh Kale) and Trances Of You, and sold out shows. She is also known for taking up social causes. Last year, when she underwent a hysterectomy, she posted a detailed account of her experience. “One half of the population go through menstruation and menopause and experiences ranging from childbirth to miscarriages. Yet, most of these aren’t talked about, leaving women at risk due to shame and secrecy,” says the sitarist, who is bringing her tour to India for her latest EP.
Anoushka, who will perform in Mumbai on February 13 and Delhi on February 14, says that the new EP is quite inspired by her own pathos. “It’s a collection of vocal songs featuring wonderful singers including Ibeyi, Shilpa Rao and Alev Lenz, and of course, my sitar as a central voice. The songs are deeply emotional, slow and quite intimate and raw, though a couple of songs move into a bit more anger and release,” she says.
Anoushka shares that the songs are all about love, particularly heartbreak. “I’m proud of the fluid, genre-free feeling of the music, with the sitar weaving around English lyrics and sparse instrumentation,” she says.
Ever since she separated from her husband, she has been focusing on bringing up her two sons , Zubin (8) and Mohan (4). “I’m in a lovely place now, touch wood, enjoying being single in a way that I have never fully experienced before, and showing up as a parent the best way I can,” says the sixtime Grammy Award nominated artiste.
Anoushka has also organised a world tour to celebrate her father’s life and music as part of his centenary birth celebrations. “We kick off in London on what would’ve been my dad’s actual birthday with a gala concert. This will be the first time my sister Norah Jones and I perform together,”she shares.
My focus has been parenting my boys. I’m in a lovely place now, touch wood, really enjoying being single in a way that I have never fully experienced before, and showing up as a parent the best way I can.
ANOUSHKA SHANKAR SITARIST