NEW DELHI: For the second time, renowned sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar has been pitted against one of his daughters in the Grammy nominations: while it was against Norah Jones in 2003, it is against Anoushka Shankar this year.
The father and daughter have been pitted against each other in the World Music Category in the 55th Grammy Awards. The nominations were announced in Nashville on Wednesday and the winners will be announced at the televised awards show on 10 February 2013 from Los Angeles.
Three-time winner Pandit Ravi Shankar has been nominated for his album ‘The Living Room Sessions Part 1’, the first of two releases he recorded with his long-time tabla accompanist Tanmoy Bose in the living room of his Encinitas, California, home. It has four tracks — Raga Malgunji, Raga Khamaj, Raga Kedara and Raga Satyajit. The last is dedicated to Satyajit Ray, for whose Apu trilogy Ravi Shankar composed music.
For Anoushka, it is the third nomination. Her album ‘Traveller’ (2011) traces the links between Indian music and Spanish flamenco music.
“I am so happy that both my daughter and my husband are nominated,” Sukanya Shankar, Ravi Shankar’s wife, told an American newspaper.
Ravi Shankar said: “It feels so strange to see both our names’ and I hope she wins.” And Anoushka said: “I’m not going to win with Bapi nominated!”
Ravi Shankar (92) became the first Indian to win a Grammy in 1967 for “West Meets East” with violinist Yehudi Menuhin in the Best Chamber Music Performance category.
The 55th Grammy nominations have other persons of Indian origin as well: Rumbadoodle by Arun Shenoy of Arun Shenoy Music Publishing features in Best Pop Instrumental Album, and Krishna Das of Krishna Das Music figures for Live Ananda in Best New Age Album.
In the Best Opera Recording, the album Handel: Agrippina has Bejun Mehta among the artistes.