What did performing at the Dover Lane Music Conference for the first time mean to you?

It felt wonderful to present my first Calcutta solo classical performance at Dover Lane Music Conference. I last played there with my father (Pandit Ravi Shankar) five years ago, and it was wonderful to be back. Playing in Calcutta really reminded me so much of my father, and so it was very emotional. This was not my first classical concert in India. I have been performing classically for many years. However, this is my first series of classical concerts in India, at least in a few years. It always feels so wonderful playing our beautiful classical music, especially when it has been a long time.

How challenging is it to sound similar or different from your father?

This is not something I think about consciously. Having learned from him right from the beginning, I automatically sound very much like him in a lot of my methods of playing, especially within the classical repertoire. However, in some ways I have evolved to play differently from him as well, which is a natural product of simply playing from the heart, as we all bring our own identity to the music we play.

You arrived in Calcutta four days prior to the concert… how did you spend your time? Are there some must-dos every time you’re here?

Basically, I was rehearsing with Tanmoy Bose before our performance at the festival. I also saw some family members, and made sure to eat some mishti doi!

Zubin is about to turn three. He is very young but is he already showing any interest in music or is he curious about the sitar, yet?

He loves music, but as stated, he’s very young, and I am not looking at his interest as something to take very seriously yet. This is an age to just have fun and be exposed to as much as possible.

What are the milestones you hope to achieve as a sitar player?

I’m still hopefully at the beginning of a very long journey as a sitar player, so there is so much I still hope to achieve. More than any external measurements of achievement though, I hope just to keep deepening in my art and to continue playing as a spiritual practice.

What else are you listening to these days?

The music I listen to has always been very varied. At the moment, however, I’m listening to lots of Indian and Western classical music, a lot of world music and jazz.

Are you into music apps? Anything interesting that you’re using right now?

I love iTabla Pro for practice. On tour I use Rode Rec and Apogee Maestro to record references of my concerts so I can listen back and improve for the next shows.

You had recently come out in support of an online campaign demanding an end to crime against women, citing abuse you faced as a child…. Is this a cause that you’re actively taking up?

Yes, this is a cause I feel extremely strongly and passionately about.

Finally, Traces of You worked out beautifully. Anymore Anoushka Shankar-Norah Jones collaborations in the offing?

It was lovely getting Norah to perform on three songs on my last album. However, having just had such an intensive collaboration, we probably won’t be doing anything again, at least in the near future!

And what about an Anoushka Shankar-Joe Wright (husband) collaboration?

Who knows?!

Mohua Das

What do you like about Anoushka Shankar’s music? Tell t2@abp.in