A Taste of India

Renowned Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar will perform in the Center for Faith and Life April 10. Shankar will perform with the Anoushka Shankar Project, a non-classical composition endeavor, which includes four accompanying artists. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Committee and the Diversity Center, the group will play traditional Indian music as well as modern works.

Born in 1981 to world-famous sitar player Ravi Shankar, Anoushka found the same talent and passion for the plucked stringed instrument that has been rooted in Indian music since the middle ages. Taught by her father, Shankar began playing the sitar at age nine and first performed in New Delhi at the age of 13.

Since then, Shankar has continued to develop her musical prowess by recording with her father, releasing five albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy, touring in over 80 countries and creating the Anoushka Shankar Project.

“Anoushka is truly one of the really great stars of world music,” Tanya Gertz, director of Campus Programming, said. “I was very excited when I learned she was an option a few years ago.”

The Anoushka Shankar Project was created in 2006 as a way for Shankar to explore non-traditional and experimental music projects. It involves traditional Indian music mixed with different musical styles, instruments and artists from around the world.

“There are so many other things that I love and listen to and that I am outside of the classical space,” Shankar said in an interview with Dimm Summer of http://ethnotechno.com in October 2005. “After a certain point, you want your music that you’re making to reflect more of who you are, and so I wanted to do this.”

Though the group has modified from time to time, using different musicians and playing different pieces, the mission to combine different styles and cultures remains. Musicians who will perform with Shankar at the CFL will include Tanmoy Bose, playing tabla (an Indian percussion instrument); Ravichandra Kulur, playing flute and kanjira (South Indian frame drum); Pirashanna Thevarajah, playing mridangam (Indian percussion instrument) and Nick Able, playing tanpura (long-necked plucked lute).

To add a little more culture to the evening, the Center Stage Dinner Series will serve its last meal for this school year. Beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Peace Dining Room, the dinner will feature Indian cuisine including Samosas with coriander chutney, shrimp curry with raisin rice, raita and topping accompaniments, naan (Indian bread) and burfi (Indian cheesecake) garnished with a date compote.

Tickets for the dinner are $15 and are available at the Luther Box Office. Tickets for the Anoushka Shankar concert can also be purchased at the Box Office and are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors, $15 for youth (4-18) and free for students with the Co-Curricular Activities Fee.