In a very special moment for Indian music lovers in the UK, iconic sitarist Anoushka Shankar came on stage to join playback superstar Arijit Singh at a sold-out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The concert, where the two musicians performed music they composed together years back, was one of the high points of Arijit’s historical three-and-a-half-hour concert in north London.
She took to Instagram post-event and posted her a small clip of their performance together. “Playing alongside @arijitsingh at @tottenhamhotspurstadium, sharing some of the music we created together years ago and feeling it come alive in front of so many people, was truly special. The energy, the roar of the crowd, the joy of finally bringing these songs into the world… unforgettable.
So much love to everyone who was there. Thanks to Arijit, who, aside from being a megastar and a legendary talent, is also the kindest and most humble human. It was so lovely to make some music with you again and I can’t wait for more! Though I may not say yes to rising onto the stage on a bonkers lift again,” read the caption.
The sitarist added a nice touch to the performance, which was Arijit Singh’s first UK stadium concert. He kicked off to a thunderous welcome with his signature career-hitting song Tum Hi Ho and went on to enthral the almost packed stadium all evening long with his smooth voice and down-to-earth personality. Though his massive global popularity on platforms such as Spotify where he has eclipsed stars such as Taylor Swift, few people beyond the Indian diaspora recognise his name, primarily because he has been media-shy and because he sings primarily non-English songs.
Anoushka’s duet with Arijit was a highlight of the concert, which otherwise had some initial audio problems due to thunderous drums, but otherwise was a love affair between the artist and the audience. Her sitar playing coupled with the singer’s powerful voice gave a sensational and unforgettable sound.
The soloist musician also made headlines last week, when she called out body-shaming trolls on Instagram. Anoushka, daughter of the late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, posted a series of photographs with sexist remarks made by “male strangers” criticising her clothing and figure. In an impassioned post, the 12-time Grammy nominated singer said that her body “is not anyone else’s to comment on.” She explained that her body has been a “complete, badass warrior” having taken her through childbirth, child sexual abuse, four major surgeries and addiction. The artist’s bold move against online abuse struck a chord with many and raised a larger issue of online abuse and the freedom to one’s own body.
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