MOTHERHOOD has brought a lot of changes in sitarist Anoushka Shankar’s life, who now plans all her concerts carefully as she does not like to travel without her two-year-old son Zubin Wright Shankar.
The 32-year-old musician, who will perform in New Delhi on Saturday (December 14) says despite the changes, she enjoys juggling motherhood and her profession.
“Zubin travels with me everywhere. After his birth, I have started to plan my tours and trips carefully. Life changes completely as a parent. My whole life has shifted. I have managed to do lots of music but not in the way I would have done it during my earlier days,” Anoushka told reporters.
The musician is in India to promote her seventh studio album ‘Traces of You’ and as the title suggests, Anoushka says it is her most personal album till date.
“I don’t believe in making albums just for the sake of it. I do it when I have something to say. Sometimes I am quick, sometimes it takes time. I do tours in a western way to support albums. In between albums and tours, I also play classical music,” she said.
The album is an emotional journey for more than one reason. In the last two years, while she became mother, she also lost her father, who died in December last year.
“They are the key events that have influenced the music of this album. Mostly, my music is affected by my life. Emotions drive my music. For this album, I was more able and willing to be open about my life. The result is more personal and emotional than any other musical work before,” she said.
‘Traces of You’ will also see the appearance of her half-sister Norah Jones and Anoushka says there is no sense of competition between the two.
“It’s always lovely working with Norah. It’s very personal and meaningful to both of us. There’s no sense of competition. We exist in different places and we are supportive of each other.
“I am competitive in the sense that other people’s excellence inspires me. When a musician does something exceptionally wonderful, it inspires me. But it’s all positive. I am not jealous of anybody. My band, husband, dancers inspire me,” she said.
She may be married to British director Joe Wright but the musician has no plans of facing the camera in the near future.
“I want to write music for theatre, films, concerts. I want to be diverse as an artiste but not out of music. I am not interested in acting. But for music in films, it has to be like Satyajit Ray. I am not interested in doing music which other people have already made.”
Anoushka Shankar (centre), husband Joe Wright and son Zubin
