Two months after his demise, sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Grammy award, which was jointly accepted by his musically-gifted daughters Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones.
Anoushka Shankar, a reputed sitarist herself, and Norah Jones, who has carved a niche as a singer-songwriter, attended the pre-Grammy ceremony at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre to accept the honor bestowed on their iconic father, who passed away on December 11, 2012 at the age of 92.
“We know he was very excited to be receiving this award.
We really miss him. He lived and breathed music. He was tapping out rhythms on the breakfast table and making me do five over seven… I am still trying to get it. We are very happy to accept the award for him,” said nine-time Grammy winner Ms. Jones (33).
“It was 60 days ago today that he passed away. It’s kind of difficult to be standing up here, like Norah said, I am thrilled that he knew about this award before he passed away at least.
But I wish we weren’t standing up here for him,” said Anoushka Shankar (31), who has accompanied her father at concerts all around the world.
“I want to say thanks to my mom… He did his last performance just a few weeks before he died and I believe she was the reason he was able to be as healthy and strong as he was. I am eternally grateful to her for that.
“My father always said that music could create world peace because it had the potential to raise the consciousness of people… When I watched him play what moved me was this incredible meditative state where he could take people,” she added.
Best world music album Grammy
Ravi Shankar was also posthumously awarded the best world music album trophy at the 55th Grammys for ‘The Living Room Sessions Part 1’, pipping his daughter Anoushka, a day after being given Lifetime Achievement award.
Daughter Anoushka, who too was nominated in the same category for her album “Traveller” accepted the Grammy on behalf of her late father at the Grammy awards show.
“It’s OK to lose to your father,” said the 31-year-old, who is also a sitar player and composer, as she received the award for her father.
The Indian icon was among seven artists, including Carole King and the Temptations, named as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees.
Jones, who has won nine Grammys of her own, said of her father, “We know he was very excited to be receiving this award. We really miss him. He lived and breathed music.”
“I remember him drumming on the breakfast table, trying to get me to learn to play seven (beats) over five. I’m still trying to learn that. We are very happy to accept the award for him.”
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