Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar

The Voice of a Generation (interview)
Khabar, August 2019
“In Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar, published by HarperCollins India, Indian-American critic Kavita Das captures Shankar’s talent and persistence—and reveals how she was largely eclipsed by Ravi Shankar, her collaborator and brother-in-law. Das gives her the encore she deserves.”

The Transcendent Musical Genius of Lakshmi Shankar
The Hindu Business Line, July 26, 2019
“Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar is New York-based writer Kavita Das’s way of introducing the Grammy-nominated artiste to the current generation, even as she reminds an earlier one about Shankar’s extensive knowledge of music, sweetness of voice and prodigious achievements. Das, who was barely six when she first heard Shankar sing live, counts herself lucky to have been able to listen to the singer over the years.

The sister-in-law of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, she was “pleased and supportive” when she heard Das (44) was working on her biography. Unfortunately, the singer never saw the final product, for she died in 2013. Poignant Song is Das’s ode to a woman who was “far ahead of her time, unclassifiable and uncontained by her culture, gender or geography, transcending boundaries with her voice and music, all the while clad in a Kanjeevaram silk saree and sporting her trademark large bindi”.

When an Unlikely Rock Star in Sari and Bindi Redefined The Beatles Nostalgia at a George Harrison Concert (excerpt)
“The curtains open, the stage lights flash and the cheers of excited fans reach fever pitch as George walks out on stage. She sees Ravi raise both his arms and hears the keyboardist play the opening chords. Then somehow above the din, she hears her own voice and George’s come together soulfully, harmoniously, to sing this Hindustani pop song about their beloved Lord Krishna. Lakshmi brings out the sentiment behind the melody, but instead of being accompanied by tabla, flute or harmonium, she is buoyed by keyboard, saxophone, guitar and drums.”

Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar
The Telegraph, July 15, 2019
“From her life on stage to her personal triumphs that included a beautiful friendship with Ravi Shankar, her marriage and the unfortunate death of her daughter Viji, the book aims to present a side of her that remains undocumented by international media. Complete with anecdotes from Lakshmi herself, pictures from old archives with stalwarts like Alla Rakha and more and written in superfluous language, the author is able to present her life’s story so beautifully by virtue of perhaps having known her since childhood. The foreword is written by Anoushka Shankar. For history and music enthusiasts, this book is for keeps.”

Journey to the West (excerpt)
Millennium Post, July 6, 2019
“Lakshmi described the transformative encounter: ‘They brought a harmonium, so Madan sat at the harmonium and Khan Sahib took the swarmandal … he strummed the strings. He sang just one line or something. I was absolutely gone! I said, “This is what I’ve been waiting for.”‘ In that very moment, Lakshmi resolved to learn Hindustani music and from none other than Abdul Rehman Khan.”

Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar
Explosive Fashion, July 3, 2019

She Changed Herself for the World, but her Music Never Lost Its Soul
YourStory, June 29, 2019
“I sought to answer two questions. Firstly, how did Lakshmiji accomplish everything she did in the face of numerous cultural barriers, from learning Bharatnatyam as a young South Indian Brahmin girl to becoming a Hindustani singer as a south Indian woman, from being the most prominent Indian woman musician in the movement that brought Indian music to the West to serving as the voice of the epic film Gandhi, from being one of the first Indian women to earn a Grammy nomination to building legions of fans around the world.

And secondly, given all Lakshmiji accomplished, why is she not more celebrated, especially in her homeland India? Ultimately, I sought to explore her life and music, the interplay between the two, in a nuanced yet accessible way. It is important to me that anyone who picks up this book doesn’t necessarily need to know much about Lakshmi Shankar or Hindustani music. They need only be interested in hearing a new perspective on how Indian music made its way around the world – through the journey of an Indian female musician.”

Soulful Singer Lakshmi Makes the East Meet the West
DNA India, June 24, 2019
“Das shows how sorrows – particularly losing daughter Viji to cancer – both clogged and released Lakshmi’s creativity, and how a deep spirituality nourished her music and her soul till the very end. She does more: brings a forgotten era back into the present when east-west cross-cultural encounters in music were rare, often meaningful, not always successful, but always motivated by creativity, not commerce.”

Book of the Week: Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar
Verve, June 21, 2019
“Kavita Das’ biography is an in-depth look into the journey of an exceptional artiste and a heroic woman, making for a perfect inspirational read.”

New Book Chronicles the Journey of Indian Music to the West through Lakshmi Shankar, One Among the Few Indian Female Grammy-nominated Vocalists
The Indian Express, June 20, 2019

Poignant Song: Tracing Grammy-nominated Vocalist Lakshmi Shankar’s Fascinating Story (excerpt)
Tiranga, June 19, 2019

How Lakshmi Shankar Became the Voice Behind the Epic Gandhi (Excerpt)
LitHub, June 17, 2019

Grammy-nominated Lakshmi Shankar’s Dream Debut was Shattered by Gossip and Jealousies (excerpt)
The Print, June 15, 2019