Strumming her sitar

Anoushka Shankar brought an engaging and intriguing show to the Center for Faith and Life April 10. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Committee and the Diversity Council, the talented and Grammy-nominated sitar player, along with the Anoushka Shankar Project, enticed the crowd with a mix of traditional and modern Indian music—a rare opportunity for the Decorah community.

This performance, the first of their tour, featured specific traits of northern and southern classical Indian music along with other musical styles, such as jazz and flamenco. The down-to-earth musicians sat cross-legged and provided a calm and relaxing environment that showcased their talent to an eager audience.

“I really enjoyed it,” Melani Schwartz (‘13) said. “It was phenomenal. I came in with high expectations and they just blew past all of them.”

Shankar, the daughter of legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar, began the Anoushka Shankar Project in 2006 as a way to explore, compose and perform music with different musical elements outside of traditional Indian music. Accompanying her at this performance were musicians Tanmoy Bose, Ravichandra Kulur, Pirashanna Thevarajah and Nick Able.

Shankar, having first performed at the age of 13, is not new to the stage.

“Performing is an incredible thing,” Shankar said. “You really get to interact with people who are listening and enjoying your music. I love that direct access to people and being on stage.”

The performance certainly did prove to be an exciting experience. The stage, set with five different rugs on raised platforms, was simplistic, giving the music a chance to shine in the spotlight. The musicians, wearing Indian attire, gave a unique performance that included up beat tunes in a seven-beat cycle, called a Rupak, incredibly precise vocal percussion and a flamenco-inspired piece.

The group members were exceptionally accurate, especially when faced with fast tempos and many notes. The musicians also performed well with each other. Each could be seen keeping time or communicating with a simple bob of the head or tap of the foot.

Audience members were treated to a different concert than most had ever experienced.

“I’d never heard those sounds together before,” Ben Marple (‘11) said.

Students in attendance appreciated the unique musical opportunity.

“It was fantastic to hear music that we never get the opportunity to hear and see it accurately performed,” Andrew Ritter (‘11) said. “Everything was different to our ears about that concert. It wasn’t just about a new genre, it was about a new understanding of rhythm and time and tonal center.”

Traditional Indian music, though similar to Western music in ways, has its differences. For instance, classical Indian music uses a movable scale that contains seven primary notes on a basis of 22 intervals, much different from the stationary scale of classical Western music, which contains eight primary notes and 12 intervals. Classical Indian music also integrates the quarter step, something not traditionally heard in Western music.

The mixture of cultures added to the unique musical experience.

“We have not had a south Asian performer here in a few years, so it’s certainly a privilege to have this kind of a performance at Luther,” Assistant Professor of History Brian Caton said.

Shankar and her fellow musicians created a fun and playful performance. The Center Stage Series’ last concert of the year was a new cultural and musical experience for Luther and Decorah as well.