Lakshmi Shankar

Lakshmi Shankar, born in 1926, was a pioneering figure in Hindustani classical music, renowned for her exquisite vocals and cross-cultural collaborations. Hailing from a South Indian Hindu family, she mastered the Patiala Gharana style and became an outstanding vocalist known for her performances of khyal, thumri, and bhajans. Her journey was marked by a unique blend of traditional Indian music and Western influences, notably through her collaborations with George Harrison of The Beatles. Shankar's discography spans a wide range of genres, including film soundtracks like "Gandhi" and fusion projects that brought Indian music to global audiences. Her contributions extended beyond music, as she was also a trained Bharata Natyam dancer and actor. In 2009, at the age of 83, she received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional World Music Album, cementing her legacy as a bridge between Eastern and Western musical traditions.