Anoushka Shankar Biography, Family
Anoushka Shankar is an Indian-British Sitar player, composer and author. Anoushka was the daughter of legendary Indian musician Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Anoushka Shankar was born on the 9th of June 1981 in London. Her childhood passed between Delhi and London. Anoushka attended San Dieguito High School Academy in California. After graduation, she decided to pursue her career in music.
Anoushka started learning guitar from her father when she was just 7 years old. In childhood, she often accompanied her father performances. At the age of 13, Anoushka gave her first public performance in New Delhi.
From the age of 15, Anoushka began accompanying, assisting in her father concerts and she assisted Ravi Shankar famous album Chants Of India which was released in 1997. Anoushka work in Chants Of India fetches her opportunity from Angel Records.
At the age of 17, she released her debut self-titled album “Anoushka” in 1998. After two years she released “Anourag” album. Anoushka released her third album Live at Carnegie Hall in 2003 and it was nominated for Grammy award.
Anoushka performed her fourth album RISE at the Grammy awards venue in 2006 and she became the first Indian to play at Grammy venue.
In 2013 Anoushka released her seventh album “Traces Of You”, featuring her half-sister Norah Jones vocals to few tracks. This album received positive reviews and got Grammy nomination.
Apart from music Anoushka ventured into acting and writing. Anoushka Shankar acted in one film “Dance Like a Man”. She won National Film Award of India in the best-supporting-actress category. Anoushka recorded the soundtrack for Indian film “Water”.
She wrote a biography of her father Ravi Shankar Bapi: The Love of My Life. Anoushka regularly writes columns for newspapers such as Hindustan Times and First City Magazine.
Family
Anoushka Shankar Parents
Anoushka mother name is Sukanya Rajan. Anoushka father Ravi Shankar was the greatest musician. He has multiple relationships. Sukanya was his fourth wife. Anoushka was born when Ravi was 61 years.
Sukanya Rajan and Ravi Shankar got married in 1989, after 8 years of Anoushka birth. Ravi Shankar was died in 2012 due to illness.
Siblings
Anoushka had two siblings from her father side. Musician and composer Subhendra Kumar is her half-brother and pop singer Norah Jones is her half-sister.
Husband
Anoushka Shankar married Joe Wright in 2010, Joesph Wright was a British film director. The couple had two children, first son Zubin Shankar Wright was born in 2011 and second son Mohan Shankar Wright was born in 2015.
The couple estranged and finally took divorce in 2018. Now Anoushka is living with her two sons in London.
Awards
- Anoushka awarded British House of Commons Shield, 1998
- Awarded Woman of the Year on International Women’s Day 2003 in India
- She won Best Artist in the Songlines Music Award for her album Traveller in 2012.
- She won the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture & Theatre Awards (ACTA) Award for outstanding achievements in the Indian classical music in 2017.