From Amazon.co.uk
Once upon a time in the West, the sitar was so recondite that any mention required a description of the instrument. The cusp of change came in 1956 when an up-and-coming musician went into a London studio and cut his first microgroove long-player. Ravi Shankar was in the vanguard of a new cultural experience for many. His daughter is in the vanguard of the next generation of musicians, the offspring of musicians who transformed people's appreciation of non-western classical music. The Shankar name guarantees attention some have argued on a level not commensurate with her playing. Total poppycock. The mere newsworthiness of another generation taking the music forward is excuse enough, were one needed, that she merits the attention she is getting.
Anourag, a marked improvement on her
1998 debut release, confirms that music must be kept in the equation. On
Anourag, she confirms she is her father's daughter. Given that she is no south-Indian child prodigy (a discussion for another turn of the wheel), she acquits herself beautifully. "Shuddha Sarang" and "Pancham Se Gara" (on which Shankar senior plays) are outstanding and she tackles the highly intriguing "Swarna Jayanti" with a flair rare for an 18-year-old. Stay tuned. --
Ken Hunt
