Anoushka Shankar - Traces of You

Her father Ravi Shankar popularized the sitar, serving as teacher and mentor to George Harrison, who introduced the Indian stringed instrument to Beatles’ music. Anoushka is carrying on that tradition. On her seventh album, Traces of You, the 32-year-old musician, who has studied with her dad all her life, bridges sitar-driven, raga-based compositions with electronica and other pop music. With its theme of the circle of life, the album expresses Anoushka’s love for her dad, who died last December, her husband, Atonement director Joe Wright, and their two-year-old son, Zubin. “Life took a journey of its own,” Anoushka acknowledges, “and the music followed that form.” While most of the tracks are instrumentals, Anoushka’s half-sister Norah Jones lends her smoky vocals to three songs, including the droning, hypnotic title track and the haunting, piano-tinged “The Sun Won’t Set.” Deeply expressive, Anoushka’s sitar takes listeners to unexpected places—just like her father’s did.