There’s never a wrong time to show appreciation to your parents.
With those whose parents are still there beside them, take your time to give your love and care to them. Even so, those who have already lost theirs can still show your appreciation and gratitude to them in various ways.
Norah Jones was not very fond of her father until her late teens.
She tells the world that her relationship with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar is complicated. Despite that, they were able to cultivate their father-daughter relationship over the years even until he passed away at the age of 92.
Jones does a cover of one of his father’s Western-inspired songs.
On April 8, 2020, Jones was supposed to be in London to play for a concert commemorating her late father’s 100th birthday.
She planned to bringt her father’s music to the show for people to appreciate, but things didn’t go as planned.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Jones was forced to stay at home and cancel the planned concert.
Even so, that did not stop her from sharing his father’s music with the world. She uploaded a clip on YouTube just a week ago of her singing “I Am Missing You,” one of Shankar’s songs that she was supposed to perform at the concert.
She brought to the song a different yet still exquisite flavor.
Originally accompanied by a sitar, Jones spiced it up by doing her rendition of it on the piano.
The song’s intro sounds like a mix of jazz and classical with its calming, off-beat progression. In her rendition, the song transformed into a much more Western-style, though she was careful enough not to omit its original qualities.
Her voice is like gentle dewdrops after heavy rain.
The coziness you can feel after she vocalizes its verses makes you want to grab a cup of coffee and sip it as you observe the fresh morning sun. It is just amazing how Jones’s voice can work wonders, and it all makes you miss listening to her old songs.
The song’s Indian roots blended well with its Western composition.
Originally, the song was written as a prayer or a love ballad to the Indian god Krishna. Shankar wrote English lyrics for it and mixed it with elements of Western music.
When the song first came out, even George Harrison was astounded by his composition.
Harrison had helped with the original arrangement and production, and it was then released in 1974 on his album Shankar Family & Friends as its lead single. Even so, it still inspires so many musicians to this day.
Even with the Western elements on the mix, it still ends up being more Indian-sounding because of its instrumental accompaniment: the sitar.
The reprised version of “I Am Missing You” offers a folksier version than its original composition. The single’s written lyrics were vocalized by Ravi’s sister-in-law, Lakshmi Shankar. The video of Norah’s cover reached 428,000 views just a few days after posting it online.
It is just wonderful to hear a new side of the song after Jones covered it.
Instead of it being a folk love song, Norah was able to make the song transcend to a new level of rawness and quality. In all, it’s a beautiful tribute to her father, and to a musical legend.
Be sure to watch the entire performance in the link below:
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