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But few know that offstage, they counted each other as good friends. Others discovered Lakshmi Shankar as the melodic voice on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning movie, Gandhi , but are unaware that as a child, she actually met Mahatma Gandhi several times. Indians and Indian Americans have gotten to know Lakshmiji , as they affectionately call her, in all her incarnations over the decades.
Later, they were charmed by Lakshmi as a Bollywood actress in early Tamil Talkies. Finally, they came to love and praise her for her amazing talents as a Hindustani or Indian classical music singer and their adoration continues today. But even amongst Indians, few know that illness prevented Lakshmi from continuing her career as a dancer, leaving her devastated but also laying the groundwork for her reinvention as an Indian classical singer, who would go on to win high accolades throughout the world.
In my mind, the most fascinating elements of this story are the intrepid Indian musicians, who traveled as cultural ambassadors on a mission to share their art form with the world and their admiring and curious Western counterparts. These Western musicians, who spanned classical, pop, and jazz genres, were excited to help popularize and collaborate, creating the early strains of Indian fusion music.
Amongst the first wave of Indian artists, sitarist Ravi Shankar, sarodist, Ali Akbar Khan, and tabla player, Allah Rakha are most recognized for their contribution to expanding the reach of Indian music. However, the story as it has been told is not complete. If it were a song, it would be missing some of its most poignant, albeit, softer strains and notes.
These incredible accomplishments culminated in her Grammy nomination. Beyond the accolades, through her unique gifts as a singer, Lakshmi Shankar has given Indian Americans the chance to experience nostalgia for their homeland, through a favorite melodic Bhajan or Thumri, while through her fusion collaborations, she has also pushed audiences to consider how the musical traditions of India and the West can be artfully woven together.
First, she provides a perspective on the journey of Indian music to the West that has rarely been heard from: a female Indian musician who was part of that movement.
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Second, while most musicians of her stature focused on cultivating one art form over their lifetimes, Lakshmi was forced to reinvent herself from an accomplished dancer, to an actress, and only much later in life, forged a new path forward as a Hindustani singer. Finally, while Lakshmi eventually found success as an artist and happiness through her family, she has endured tragedies as well, including the loss of her beloved only daughter and frequent singing companion, Viji.
This lesson is particularly relevant for the next generation of Indian American artists, who seek to build on the foundation created by artists like Shankar.