If you know Ravi Shankar, widely known as the “Sitar maestro,” then you’re probably at least a little familiar with Indian classical music.
Shankar introduced Indian music to the West and got immense recognition after he influenced various musicians throughout his career. He died in December 2012, at the age of 92. Even so, one of his daughters, Anoushka Shankar, also picked up his sitar and kept his legacy alive through music.
Anoushka even dedicated her seventh album to her father.
Over the years, Anoushka has never stopped playing and composing music.
Just a couple of months after the death of her father, Anoushka released her seventh studio album, Traces of You, in memorial of her father. Three of the records on the album were particularly special, because Anoushka’s sister, Norah Jones, was there to sing the verses.
Technically speaking, Jones is Anoushka’s half-sister.
When Anoushka was putting her album together, she reached out to Jones to ask for her help in singing some of the songs. Even though Jones had been away from her father for a long time, she did not hesitate to lend a hand to her sister.
One of the songs that they performed was the album’s single “Traces of You,” a melodious and sentimental ballad dedicated to their father.
In the song, Anoushka plays melodic harmonies from her sitar as Jones’s soulful vocals blend into them beautifully. Together, they were able to paint a clear picture of the song’s meaning and translate their emotions into lyrics.
By mixing musical elements of Western and Eastern music, the ballad draws out a unique feel and a calming vibe that anyone can appreciate.
Although the song itself is incredible, the music video is also incredible for its artful cinematography.
Each of the musicians was filmed in a different setting.
Anoushka was filmed outside sitting on top of a green patch of grass with her sitar, whereas Jones sings from inside a house. Their percussionist is filmed on top of a building. Throughout the video, they use a kaleidoscope lens on their camera to create all kinds of hypnotizing images. The video also features various everyday scenes from India, giving a glimpse of people’s wide smiles as they interact with the camera.
The whole video is aesthetically pleasing and mesmerizing at the same time, letting viewers relax as they sink into the music.
The video was put on YouTube by Deutsch Grammophon in September 2013.
Since it was uploaded, it has earned 2.6 million views on YouTube along with heartwarming comments about Anoushka and Jones’s collaboration paying tribute to their deceased father. Some also found new pleasure and interest by just listening to Anoushka’s music.
Anoushka continues to evolve her music with her sitar.
From an early age, Anoushka developed her own devotion to Indian classical music.
She was only 13 years old when she performed at her first concert! Unlike her father who stuck strictly to the tradition of Indian classical music, Anoushka was not afraid to take her music a step further by experimenting in her compositions and injecting foreign elements to her masterpieces.
As Shankar was the one who introduced a music that was ahead of his time, Anoushka is now responsible for keeping her father’s legacy alive.
Throughout her musical career, she keeps Indian music evolving in a modernized age—and the results are so beautiful.
Be sure to check out their entire performance in the link below:
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