She changed herself for the world, but her music never lost its soul

A noted Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala gharana, Lakshmi Shankar was also a dancer and an actor. She started her journey as a dancer in Uday Shankar’s troupe and ventured into playback singing after a tragic illness cut short her dancing career.

Lakshmi is well known as the voice behind Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan Vaishnav Jana Toh in Richard Attenborough’s acclaimed film Gandhi. Apart from collaborating with her brother-in-law, Pandit Ravi Shankar, on various projects like I Am Missing You, produced by George Harrison of The Beatles, Lakshmi also won a Grammy nomination in 2009 for Best World Music Album (traditional) for Dancing in The Night.

Kavita Das, who has known Lakshmi Shankar since her childhood, in Poignant Song - her biography of the artiste - takes readers and music lovers on a journey filled with anecdotes that dotted her life and her extraordinary achievements.

In an interview with HerStory, the author talks about her personal connection with Lakshmi Shankar, different aspects of her life, and the essence of the book.

HerStory: What drew you to the life and music of Lakshmi Shankar?

Kavita Das: My parents, who were both physicians and Indian immigrants to the US, helped organise arts events in New York City so we would host Indian musicians and dancers. I grew up with a front-row seat to Indian musical and cultural events. And it was through this that I came to know Lakshmiji and fall in love with her music. Her beautiful voice and gorgeous songs have always been a part of my life, even as my musical tastes evolved from childhood to adulthood. I feel so fortunate to have spent time with Lakshmiji across decades, getting to observe her on and off-stage.

HS: What prompted the book and why?

KD: I was working in racial justice and realised that one of the quieter ways that racial injustice works, on a smaller scale, is by erasing or minimising the lives of certain people. I thought it was important to chronicle Lakshmiji's life story and provide an unheard perspective on the journey of Indian music to the West - that of a Grammy-nominated Indian female musician. 

HS: What is the essence of the book? What have you sought to capture in this biography?

KD: I sought to answer two questions. Firstly, how did Lakshmiji accomplish everything she did in the face of numerous cultural barriers, from learning Bharatnatyam as a young South Indian Brahmin girl to becoming a Hindustani singer as a south Indian woman, from being the most prominent Indian woman musician in the movement that brought Indian music to the West to serving as the voice of the epic film Gandhi, from being one of the first Indian women to earn a Grammy nomination to building legions of fans around the world.

And secondly, given all Lakshmiji accomplished, why is she not more celebrated, especially in her homeland India? Ultimately, I sought to explore her life and music, the interplay between the two, in a nuanced yet accessible way. It is important to me that anyone who picks up this book doesn't necessarily need to know much about Lakshmi Shankar or Hindustani music. They need only be interested in hearing a new perspective on how Indian music made its way around the world – through the journey of an Indian female musician. 

HS: What facets of her life touched you the most?

KD: In terms of her music, I was in love with the sound and timbre of Lakshmiji's voice. Hearing her sing bhajans is a unique, sublime joy. In terms of her life, she was such a warm, wonderful person to be around. I loved hearing about her experiences and thoughts on music. Ultimately, as an American woman of Indian origin, I was fascinated by how Lakshmiji, who was close to my grandmother's age, managed to transcend so many barriers in order to first, dance, then sing, and bring her love of Hindustani music to people all over the world. 

HS: You have known her since childhood? What personal experiences have you brought to the book?

KD: In the prologue of the book I share the moment when I asked Lakshmiji if I could write her biography. She had just shown me her Grammy nomination and I was sure I wanted to write her biography but I didn't have a clue how I would do so. In the epilogue I share how Lakshmiji spontaneously sang at my wedding mehendi ceremony, which was an incredibly, touching moment. But beyond these specific experiences, I tried to bring my personal perspective on her life and music, culled from more than three decades of observing her on and off-stage. 

HS: When you approached Anoushka Shankar for the foreword, what were her thoughts?

KD: Anoushka Shankar was so gracious in both penning the foreword and making time for me to interview her for the book. In addition to having much affection for Lakshmiji as her aunt, she also shared fascinating insights into the significance of Lakshmiji's musical contributions from her own perspective as an accomplished Indian female artist. 

HS: While presenting the artiste's journey, how did you attempt to portray both the ups and downs?

KD: Although I didn't want to sensationalise Lakshmiji's life, her life has definitely had more than the average shares of ups and downs. She pursued her passion for dance and then music and eventually achieved success, but her journey required her to face and transcend obstacles and make sacrifices. She experienced the gloriousness of singing to thousands of fans, collaborating with the likes of Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. But she also experienced the indescribable grief of losing her only daughter. She was celebrated in her adopted country America with a Grammy nomination for her final album, Dancing in the Light, but never received equivalent accolades from her home country despite all she did to bring Indian music to the rest of the world.

HS: Can you tell us a little about yourself.

KD: I was born in 1974 and grew up in New York City, learning Carnatic and Bengali vocal music as well as Western classical violin. Before becoming a writer, I worked in the social change sector for 15 years. I write primarily about culture, race, gender, and their intersections. My work has been published in LitHub, Tin House, Longreads, Kenyon Review, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Guernica, Quartz, Colorlines, and other publications. I currently live in New York City with my husband Om, and our hound, Harper. When I'm not writing, I'm usually soaking up all the amazing arts and yummy food the city has to offer.

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