Ashwani Shankar

The emotionally charged sound of the shehnai is instantly moving. The young Indian musician Ashwani Shankar is one of the great talents on this complex double-reed wind instrument. Shankar comes from a very musical family and had the good fortune to study with a master of the instrument: Pt. Anant Lal. His music is characterized, among other things, by a melodious playing style known as Gayaki Ang. Shankar is not only deeply rooted in tradition; he also innovates. Striking, for example, is the way he builds up the ragas, incorporating playing techniques that were previously beyond the reach of his instrument. In this way, he weaves influences from Ravi Shankar—the sitar maestro with whom he shares a surname—into his music. Rhythmic figures are an essential element of his style. At Music Meeting, Dutch tabla player Heiko Dijker will bring these to life with passion.

Part of the Indian Raga Night evening program
Ashwani Shankar || Debasmita Bhattacharya || Parvathy Baul || Jayant, Balakrishna SG & Heiko Dijker