Anoushka Shankar to tour India in December, first stop Bengaluru

Grammy-nominated composer and sitarist Anoushka Shankar is set to return to India with a three-city tour in December.

The tour will kick start at Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bengaluru on December 11, followed by a concert at Shanmukhananda Auditorium in Mumbai on December 16. It will conclude in Delhi on December 18 with a performance at SiriFort Auditorium, the organisers said in a press release.

Anoushka, 41, will be touring in support of her new music releases. She will navigate through experimental and exciting new sonic vistas and present an invigorating perspective on Indian classical music.

"I’m beyond excited to finally return to India to perform after such a long gap. I feel I’m in a different place musically and creatively now, and I can’t wait to share this new and exciting show with my audiences in India. I’m blessed to have a group of truly exceptional musicians joining me this time and I hope people enjoy the music," the musician, who last toured India in 2020, said in a statement.

According to the release, Anoushka will be joined by British electronic musician Gold Panda (aka Derwin Decker) in interpreting the legacy of her father, legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, in the first half of her performances.

The duo will form a collaborative bridge between the electronic and classical instrumental worlds inspired by the late music icon's compositions.

In the second half of her performances, a quintet of musicians comprising clarinettist Arun Ghosh, Carnatic percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah, drummer Sarathy Korwar and upright bassist Tom Farmer will accompany Anoushka for an inventive exploration of her selected works including recently released digital album Between Us.

Anoushka will also pay homage to the victim of the December 2012 gang rape and murder case during her Mumbai performance on December 16.

The musician will be releasing a reimagined version of her 2013 track In Jyoti's Name from her album Traces Of You.

Titled In Her Name, the song features a specially-written poem by Nikita Gill.

"How is it that ten years after the heartbreaking gang rape and murder that sent shockwaves of horror around the world, we are still inundated by stories of women who are attacked, murdered, policed, and unable to live in freedom and safety? The same ripping feeling in my gut that I felt in 2012 manifests over and over when I read of any one of these precious losses of life. With In Her Name, we have tried to broaden the lens across the current global female experience, fighting for safety, for freedom from fear and for freedom of choice," Shankar said.

The accompanying music video pivots around a performance by Bharatnatyam dancer Mythili Prakash, supported by artwork curated by artist-activist Shilo Shiv Suleyman.

The tour is being curated by Alchemist Marketing Solutions.

"We are elated to bring Anoushka Shankar to the fantastic audiences of Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru with a never-before performed set of music. We have got a like-minded partner in Brookfield Properties for the tour. Alchemist Live opens its year after a long hiatus with a world-class production like this, ahead of the 4th season of Delhi Theatre Festival that would be announced soon," said Anujita Jain, CEO, Alchemist Marketing Solutions.