THE MOST FAMOUS EXPONENT OF SITAR -ANOUSHKA SHANKAR

 

In the Blogchatter’s A2Z campaign, I will be presenting blogposts on ‘EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED INDIAN ARTIST’ in the alphabetical order. Starting today with A – Anoushka Shankar- sitar.  First few lines on the instrument –sitar, then about the artist.

"Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without." - Confucius

Sitar is a musical instrument developed from Persian Lutes which were played in the Mughal Darbars. Many evidences state that an 18^th century famous poet Amir Khusrav, surnamed as “parrot of India” invented the sitar.  He is said to have evolved it from a Persian instrument called 'sehtar'.

Sitar a  string instrument of the lute family is popular in north India. Typically measuring about 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length, the sitar has a deep pear-shaped gourd body; a long, wide, hollow wooden neck; both front and side tuning pegs; and 20 arched movable frets.

Anoushka Shankar is a world famous versatile sitarist and she needs no bigger introduction. With her name being read or heard, almost all immediately remember with ardent devotion and respect the legend and sitar maestro Ravi Shankar- her father.

 Anoushka sits with crossed legs and left hand up to hold the sitar, her fingers play in a breezy motion on the string instrument producing a music of joy and peace. Her music makes the audience spell bound and the way she synchronize with the band is a beauty beyond words.

Anoushka shankar’s first performance in India was at the age of 13, at Siri Fort, New Delhi. It was a part of her father’s 75^th birthday celebration concert.  She did many concerts around the world and apart from playing sitar, she is a prolific writer and a columnist. She wrote a biography of her father,  Bapi: The Love of My Life in 2002

 Anuoshka Shankar is being invited by many for Benefit concerts around the world.   She is an activist working with multiple causes and charitable organisations, particularly supporting women and refugees; she is also an advocate for animal rights.

To teach the art of playing sitar, Ravi Shankar started The Kinnara school of Music in Mumbai in 1962. Ravi Shankar Institute of Music and the Performing Arts in New Delhi is another initiative to preserve and propagate this art form.

 (I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.co)