Anoushka Shankar was born on June 9, 1981. She is an internationally known sitar player and composer, residing in the United Kingdom. Anoushka Shankar was born to the popular sitarist Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Shankar. She is also the half-sister of Grammy Award winner Norah Jones, through her father. Anoushka was born in London and her father began training her in the sitar when she was only eight years old. She came in front of the public for her first performance at the age of thirteen; since then she is known to be a world famous sitar artist.

From seven years of age she lived in Encinitas California, USA, after her mother reunited with Mr Shankar. Here she gave several charity performances as a teenager and simultaneously graduated from the local public high school. In 1998, Anoushka played for guests including British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook at a gala dinner. She was the awarded with a House of Commons Shield. In February 2000, Anoushka Shankar became the first woman to perform at The Ramakrishna Centre in Calcutta. The Indian Television Academy, Asmi, and India Times selected her as one of four Women of the Year in India in 2003. She was chosen as one of twenty Asian Heroes in 2004 by the Asia edition of Time magazine.

Her album Rise was nominated for a Grammy award in the section of Best Contemporary World Music category. However, this was Anoushka`s second Grammy nomination. Here too, Anoushka was the first Indian woman to perform at the Grammy Awards when she presented a function during the pre-telecast ceremony of the 48th awards. She played sitar at the memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death that was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on November 29, 2002.

Anoushka is a great supporter of animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She and her father stood firmly and appeared in a thirty-second public-service announcement against animal suffering, attended by thousands of people.

Anoushka along with Karsh Kale recently released her most recent album, Breathing Under Water, which is a brilliant blend of classical sitar and electronica beats and melodies. Her half-sister, Norah Jones and Sting Notable were her guest vocals, while her father performed in a sitar duet along with his daughter. The album was released on August 28, 2007.

Discography of Anoushka Shankar

Album	Year
Anoushka (1998)	1998
Anourag	2000
Live at Carnegie Hall	2001
Rise	2005
Breathing Under Water	2007