Anoushka Shankar, Nish Kumar, Seckou Keita, MoYah, Nadine Shah, Nectar Woode, Robert Ames, London Contemporary Orchestra, et Salena Godden

Following in her legendary father’s footsteps, Anoushka Shankar carries on the family tradition. Trained on the sitar as a child, she began performing publicly at the age of thirteen. With her father Ravi Shankar’s musical career taking off, she joined him touring the world at fourteen playing prestigious venues such as Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. At the age of sixteen, Anoushka signed her first record deal with subsidiary of EMI, Angel Records. The following year she released her debut self-titled album produced by her father which was heavily influenced by Ravi’s development of the raga style. The album helped catapult into the forefront of world music. In 2003, Anoushka received a Grammy nomination (alongside her half-sister, Norah Jones) in the World Music category for her third album making her not only the youngest nominee but also the first woman in that category. She would return three years later becoming the first Indian to perform at the awards ceremony. Collaborating with Indian fusion artist Karsh Kale on the album ‘Breathing Under Water’ allowed Anoushka the chance to experiment with mixing the sound of classical sitar with electronic beats, adding a whole new dimension to her music.

The musical heritage of her family and passion for traditional Hindi music is deeply rooted in her veins which is ever more apparent in a live setting. Dressed in traditional Hindi clothing, Shankar sits cross legged on a carpeted raised platform accompanied by a tabla maestro and a shenai punter. There is a sense of calm in the air as she begins to play with an endearing intensity as she gets lost in the music, closing her eyes as she pours out her heart and soul. It’s enchanting and the audience cannot help but be mesmerised. You can leave your troubles at the door as Shankar makes you forget and entices you with a rejuvenated state of mind. It’s a magical experience that you won’t forget as Anoushka Shankar elegantly carries on her father’s legacy.

Ducking under the low ceiling to climb on to the stage Nadine Shah, who is tall and made significantly taller by her high heel boots, looked back at the steps and gestured at them laughing and cajoling the audience to join in the joke. This is what its like watching Nadine perform. Its like you're down the pub with all her mates watching her crack out a few tunes while having a laugh.

Except the music is generally dark and brooding and often times ascerbic and cutting. Then her voice, tremulous, smokey, deep and practically perfect with all its quirks, sung in her native north east dialect simply takes your breath away.

We got most of the new album and quite a few of her older stalwarts. My favourite was the first encore, Divided from the new album. Nadine picking out the repeated two notes on her guitar subtly backed by just one additional guitar and delivering the lines with intimacy and passion. You could literally have heard a pin drop, or the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Stunning.