Anoushka Shankar Concert, Academy of Music, 13 May

The young girl born in London was first encouraged by her mother to train on the complicated Indian stringed instrument that Anoushka's father, Ravi Shankar had made world-famous. With this the eight-year old Anoushka started her incredible journey helped by the biggest and best possible teacher in the world, her father, but this on its own wouldn’t have been enough to achieve what she did at the age of 22.

At the age of 13 she played on the album In Celebration, a tribute to the works of Ravi Shankar and was a conductor on her father’s Chant of India album, the producer of which was George Harrison.
 
Her first solo album was regarded quite simply as a miracle. That same year, the British Parliament awarded Anoushka with a House of Commons Shield, making her both the youngest and the first female recipient of that high honour. Six years after her album, Anourag she released Live in Carnagie Hall that has brought her international fame and a Grammy nomination in the World Music category. She made a moving tribute to George Harrison when she re-worked her father’s song Arpan; the guitar solo was played by Eric Clapton on the Concert for George event.

Anoushka became successful not only in the music world but on the screen as well. On the India International Film Festival she won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Dance Like A Man. Not surprisingly the Time Magazine included her in the “Asia’s top 20 Heroes” list.

Two years ago her music style took a new direction with her album Rise on which she moves on from playing as a soloist and plays her songs with the help of several other brilliant musicians. His opened the doors of international stages even wider in front of her, won her another Grammy nomination in the Contemporary World Music category and Anoushka also became the first Indian to play at the Grammy Awards when she performed a piece from the CD at the pre-telecast ceremony in February 2006."

Source: budapestinfo.hu