New Delhi: It was an evening to remember for Delhiites as sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar took to stage along with his daughter Anoushka Shankar at a concert quite aptly called Magical Strings.
Even age has failed to dampen his soaring spirit, at 86, Pandit Ravi Shankar is still the charmer he was 65 years ago.
Casting his musical spell over the enchanted audience, Shankar started with the traditional Raag Kalyani, and the performance saw a perfect harmony between the two generations.
However, Anoushka, herself an acclaimed sitarist, did accept the overpowering presence of her father while playing alongside him.
"My father on one side is very inspiring but at the same time my role is different because I have to play his assistant. The entire process is different. Its about support, harmony and rhythm and not so much about showing-off per se," Anoushka said.
Anoshka Shankar recently won her first Grammy nomination for her critically acclaimed solo album Rise but lost out on the much coveted honour.
"It's a great joy and pleasure to listen to Ravi Shankarji. He has been an iconic figure for the last 50 years," Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh said.
When quizzed about the dwindling stature of the Indian classical music, the maestro seemed quite upbeat. He said, "Classical music cannot have mass appeal. It has never been so and I don’t think it can ever be."
A packed house, enchanted audience and a delightful performance - elements no stranger to Pandit Ravi Shankar's performance but words, as always fall short of capturing the magic, unleashed by the strings.
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