She may carry the same last name as her world-renowned father, but Anoushka Shankar is a star in her own right. Starting at a very young age, she’s charted her way through the music world with her soulful music and sitar playing. It’s been a while since the release of her last studio album but Anoushka is raring to go with her latest Traces of You. It was during its recording that her father Pt Ravi Shankar passed away, and in a way, the turn of events actually influenced her music. “I had started out with a different idea and obviously had no idea how life would turn out in the next week or so. I didn’t intend my personal experiences to affect my music, but they did,” Anoushka reveals. The album talks about how people leave their mark on whoever they meet. Traces of You, which releases this week, is very special for her. Apart from helping her deal with the loss of her father and mentor, she also got to work with her husband Joe Wright, her sister Norah Jones and friend Nitin Sawhney. “It was one big party as I was working with people I’m close to,” Anoushka says. This is also her second collaboration with Norah. “This time Norah has also sung three of the tracks on the album. Even though we have different music styles, we complement each other,” says the proud sister. Ask her how it was working with Joe and Nitin Sawhney and she says, “Nitin was the one who steered me towards this project. His immense knowledge in music has been of great help,” she says. “And working with Joe has been nothing but a fun experience,” she smiles. Of special significance is a track in the album titled In Jyoti’s Name, which espouses the power of a woman. Anushka explains, “It was just five days after my father’s passing that the gruesome gang-rape took place in Delhi. I was deeply affected by it and it influenced my music.” “We all have a part to play, directly or indirectly. It is our duty to remember and fight for the cause,” she adds. Does she have a favourite track from the album “It’s like asking a mother to choose her favourite child,” she says, begging to be excused. Speaking of children, Anoushka and Joe are parents to two-year-old Zubin Shankar Wright. How has she adjusted to her new role as mother “I am not doing anything great. I’m like any other mother who works and then returns to her family. At first, it’s difficult but then it grows on you,” she replies. Anoushka has plans to tour India this December-January to promote her album.
