Anoushka Shankar Biography
(Internationally Acclaimed Sitar Player, Composer and Daughter of Indian Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar)
Birthday: June 9, 1981 (Gemini)
Born In: London, England, United Kingdom
Anoushka Shankar is a British Indian sitar player, composer and a popular exponent of Indian classical music. She is the daughter of the renowned Indian sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Her proficiency in the field of music has earned her six Grammy nominations along with awards such as the Songlines Best Artist Award. Born in London, UK, she started learning music at the age of seven from her father whom she also considered her guru. She gave her first public sitar performance at the age of thirteen in Siri Fort, New Delhi, on the occasion of her father's 75th birthday celebrations. She released her first album 'Anoushka' at the age of 17. Her next album was 'Anourag', released after two years. She has released a total of nine albums till date. Throughout her career, she has performed at several distinguished venues such as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Vienna Konzerthaus, Royal Festival Hall and the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Apart from music, Anoushka Shankar is also known for her activism. Both she and her father were involved with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She authored the book 'Bapi: The Love of My Life' which was a biographical portrait of her father Ravi Shankar. She is also a columnist for the ‘First City’ magazine and the ‘Hindustan Times.’