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Entertainment
The Shankar connection
An armful of Grammy awards for Norah Jones.
THE RECENTLY concluded Grammy Awards event in the U.S. has been followed with perhaps more than the usual amount of enthusiasm in India this year, and young singer Norah Jones' bagging five of the awards has raised an euphoric storm of sorts.
Bruce Springsteen dominated the rock category.
Though awareness of this major music award has risen since the time when Vishwa Mohan Bhatt received it — he once mentioned that more significant than his being recognised in the West, was the fact that he made the Grammy famous in India — the main reason for the interest generated in Norah's sweep, is her being the daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sue Jones.
Eminem bagged the best rap album.
What with the sitar maestro spending more time of late in India and establishing an institute in New Delhi, the Shankars have taken up positions as one of the first families of the Capital's music cognoscenti.
Garfunkel and Simon were honoured for lifetime achievement.
Touching off from the Shankar connection, there has even been discussion on the lines of whether Norah's recognition could be considered a victory for India. Considering her music, described as an amalgam of jazz and pop, is completely different from her father's genre and considering she is also not living or training with him, this is rather a far-fetched claim.
And for all the prodding by the media, which did not hesitate to venture into private territory by wondering aloud why Norah had not mentioned him when she thanked her mother during the award acceptance speech, the sitar maestro appeared pleased and spoke in the style of a loving father when he stated, "It was such a joy seeing Norah getting so many Grammy awards. I knew, even as a child, how talented she was and it makes me so happy to see how she has charmed everyone to such an extent with her singing."
ANJANA RAJAN
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