Autobiographies, Biographies & Memoirs

HarperCollins India presents the biography of Grammy-nominated Hindustani classical vocalist Lakshmi Shankar

HarperCollins India

is proud to present the biography of

Grammy-nominated Hindustani classical vocalist Lakshmi Shankar

POIGNANT SONG
The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar

by Kavita Das

Lakshmi Aunty’s music was so unique…

She endeared herself to people all around the world with her beautiful renditons.

                                                                                                         – Anoushka Shankar

Dancer, playback singer, film actor, Hindustani classical singer – Lakshmi Shankar was all this and more. Starting her journey as a teenager in Uday Shankar’s breakthrough troupe, she ventured into playback singing after a tragic illness cut short her dance career, going on to be the voice behind films such as Richard Attenborough’s critically acclaimed Gandhi. But her ultimate artistry lay in Hindustani classical music. Apart from a distinguished solo career, she also sang for her brother-in-law Ravi Shankar’s visionary music projects, including ‘I am Missing You’, produced by George Harrison of The Beatles. Unfortunately, despite these accomplishments, Lakshmi remains largely uncelebrated.

In this book, Kavita Das, who has known her since childhood, traces Lakshmi’s fascinating story that culminated in a Grammy nomination in 2009. She also explores the singer’s personal life – her enduring friendship with Ravi Shankar, her marriage and the death of her beloved daughter Viji.

Expansively researched, with anecdotes by Lakshmi herself, Poignant Song explores the journey of Indian music to the West through the remarkable life of a great artiste.

About the author

Kavita Das grew up in New York City, learning Carnatic and Bengali vocal music as well as Western classical violin. Before becoming a writer, she worked in the social-change sector for fifteen years. She now writes about culture, race, gender and their intersections. She is a contributor to NBC News Asian America, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, and The Aerogram. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Tin House, Longreads, Kenyon Review, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Guernica, Quartz, Colorlines, and many other publications. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2016.

Kavita teaches non-fiction writing at The New School, among other places. Her writing can be found at kavitadas.com.

Pre- order now: https://amzn.to/2GLmpN6

For interviews, reviews and additional information, reach out to

Prateek.Agarwal@harpercollins.co.in

Paperback | INR 399 | Non-fiction | Biography |Music

harperbroadcast

Recent Posts

Read an Excerpt from ‘The Keeper of Desolation’

Surreal yet gritty, violent yet poetic – such is the world of Chandan Pandey’s fiction.…

7 months ago

Mitali Mukherjee’s Favourite Books

From books on financial frauds to a graphic novel based in Gaza, Mitali Mukherjee reading…

7 months ago

Between the Lines with Mitali Mukherjee

Mitali Mukherjee's chilling and unputdownable new book Crypto Crimes traces the murky underbelly of the…

7 months ago

Mastering Money: Essential Reads in Finance and Business Books

Hey there readers! For today’s blog we have brought you a collection of finance and…

7 months ago

Explore The World of YA Novels Perfect for Teens

Hi readers! In this week’s blog we have some Young Adult recommendations perfect for teens.…

7 months ago

India’s #1 crime writer S. Hussain Zaidi is back with a riveting thriller – The Black Orphan

is proud to announce the release of THE BLACK ORPHAN   Inspired by true events,…

7 months ago