• E-mail to a Friend
  • Print Print
  • RSS RSS
  • AddThis

Profile: Anoushka Shankar

Return to main article

Anoushka Shankar
Sitarist

At age 13, Anoushka Shankar began performing with her father, legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar on stages around the world. Since then, Shankar, who splits her time between New Delhi, London, and San Diego, has released four albums, including Rise. She continues to circle the globe while on tour—from Morocco to Kuala Lumpur.

TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY
Though her touring life is strictly five-star, when she's on holiday, Shankar prefers to travel in a more rustic, mellow way. Her most recent trip was to Dubrovnik and the Croatian island of Korcula, where she and a friend stayed at small inns. "When I tour, I'm traveling to a new place every two or three days, so comfort is very important. On my own, I see so much more by staying in regular places, with real people."

PACKING TIPS "My sitar is too big to carry on, so I check it every time I fly. First, I put it in a sturdy fiberglass case, then a leather case. It has gone missing only a few times—once, I almost had to cancel a concert." Her clothes are a different story: she uses Atlantic's Infinity suitcase, which is like a chest of drawers. "I can carry three month's worth of stuff and I have no problem finding anything."

STAYING SAFE
"Whenever I'm walking alone, I'll talk on my phone—either to someone real or fictional—and say, 'Hey honey, I'm on my way home,' so anyone listening will think there's someone waiting for me."

WOMEN'S WISDOM
Coming from India, where a certain amount of prejudice against women exists, Shankar is used to standing up for herself. "Men are always on the streets staring at you. It can be very extremely intimidating, but if you have enough confidence, you can ignore them. In fact, in countries like Morocco or Turkey, I find that the salesmen get offended when I haggle over a price, because it's behavior they're not used to from a woman."

—VICTORIA DESILVERIO

Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.