Anoushka Shankar: 'Chapter III: We Return to Light'

It's not often that musicians conceive of their albums as a trilogy, but 'Chapter III: We Return to the Light' brings to a satisfying and superlative conclusion the latest work from sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar. 'Chapter I: Forever, For Now' arrived in October 2023, followed by Grammy-nominated 'Chapter II: How Dark it is Before Dawn' in April 2024.

The trilogy captures the places that formed Shankar's music, with Chapter I focused on Europe - recorded in Berlin, while she was born and lives in London; Chapter II acknowledges the American influence - recorded in California, where she moved aged 11 and lived for over 15 years; Chapter III concentrates on the mindfulness of India at the root of all her music.

It will come as no surprise to listeners of this latest album that Shankar's Indian classical musical education comes from her father Ravi Shankar, with more than a sprinkling of the more modern and electronic Goa Trance music.

Collaborators on Chapter III are London's own Sarathy Korwar, alongside composer and sarod player Alam Khan, son of the famed Indian classical guru, Ali Akbar Khan. Together, the three produce stunning contemporary music that is genre-bending.

There is something memeric about tracks like Dancing on Scorched Earth, which seems one of the finest tracks that combines influences seemingly from every corner of the globe.

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Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

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