Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away at 92, carved her own path in music, moving from under her sister's shadow to recording over 12,000 songs. She redefined playback singing, bringing boldness to cabaret numbers and earning international acclaim, including Grammy nominations. Watch on to know how she broke every stereotype and inspired generations.



Lata Mangeshkar & Asha Bhosle Leave Behind a Lasting Legacy

Anoushka&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;has recently unveiled the first chapter of her mini album titled 'Forever, For Now.' Additionally, she is set to embark on a tour in India, complemented by her upcoming engagement at Lollapalooza.

Shankar&nbsp;boasts of many accomplishments. All the while being a sitarist,&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;has been the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield; the first Indian musician to perform live and to serve as a presenter at the Grammy Awards, and now has nine nominations under her belt.&nbsp;

A lot of this discipline comes from her family. The&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;house was seldom a silent place. Musicians were a permanent presence. In this talk with WION, where&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;joined us from England via a Zoom call, the sitarist talked about how her father, Late Pandit Ravi&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;influenced her.&nbsp;

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Let's talk about your album. 'Forever. For Now'. The inspiration behind it.

I mean I make albums, that's what I do. I was excited to try a new format and create a series of mini albums this time and release over the year.

'Chapter 1: Forever Now', will always be the first of the series. It was very much inspired by trying to capture a feeling of fleeting moments of beauty and peace, even in times of difficulty and pain. I wanted to make music that helped people feel joy and peace.

Your father was a Grammy-winning Indian composer. Nearly all your relatives are dominating the field of music and art. Can you share what was the experience of growing up in the&nbsp;Shankar&nbsp;family like?

I mean it was my only experience of growing up. For me, it was normal, even if in some ways it was unusual and extraordinary. It was very creative, there were a lot of artists always moving through, there was always music being played, and sometimes there would be dance rehearses. So I had a lot of exposure to art and culture that was formative in my life to make artistic work as well.

What's the kind of discipline is required to excel in Indian classical music?

What I do at this point is not exactly Indian Classical Music, but obviously, I spent decades learning it, they are the roots of everything that I do. It requires what any kind of classical form of music requires, which is a huge amount of dedication, practice and focus. To master your instrument, the vocal range, takes a lifetime of practice, focus and dedication. For a young person that can be quite difficult and will require a lot of commitment.

Can you talk about the power of Indian classical music and how it has influenced the world?

Indian classical music has incredible range, dynamism, excitement, and virtuosity. Most importantly, at its heart, it has that spiritual connection. There is a connection between the vibration and healing. The nuisance ragas can have a positive influence on a person. There's a reason why people across the globe, for generations keep coming back to Indian classical music, because there's something in it that's unique.

What kind of sounds, and vibrations attract you?

I mean I have always had a wide listening range. I love dark music, dance music, trans-trippy music, deep soulful music, and peaceful, slow music. I'm interested in honest soulful music that seems like it's coming from an artist's heart. I'm also interested in music that showcases virtuosity. I also think there is a place for fun, light-hearted music. I need the whole range as a human to reflect, the whole life and listening experience.

Have you ever suffered from writer's block or a creative block?

There have been times when I have felt that 'I should be writing, I should be writing', and nothing's coming. But my experience has been, that as soon as I put myself in the situation to write, whether that's putting myself in a room full of artists and musicians, or setting myself a deadline and making a commitment, then things tend to happen. It usually happens. As soon as I turn to that creative source, it is always there for me. It's just when I have disconnected I feel like I have writer's block.

I used to listen to the track 'Pather Panchali' on repeat mode. Those tracks brought out unspeakable emotions. How was your experience learning from Pandit Ravi&nbsp;Shankar?

It's one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. No question.

As you said, his style of playing was so unique, and revolutionary, that you can tell that it was distinctly his composition. Learning from him was very much a unique experience. My musical style has been shaped and moulded by his imprint. I got to learn so much from his ideas systematic approach, and raga knowledge. It was hugely influential. Like many of his other disciples, I had the real benefit of learning from him, performing with him, and expanding that learning on stage. That's an incredible part of classical music learning tradition, you get to learn to perform on stage. It's unique and beautiful.

You have experienced the time when music was heard from cassettes and CDs. From there to now this streaming era. Can you talk about your experience?

As you said, I started making music in the 90s. My first album was made on CDs and cassettes. Slowly they evolved into streaming platforms. I think that's been creatively freeing. I wouldn't have had an idea about these mini albums. We can release music, and singles however we want. When CDs were invented, people never thought of music in the 60-minute cycle before that was created. So that shaped the idea of what we think of as an album. Now that's changing too. I think it's exciting when technology keeps evolving on how art can be made.

Anoushka Shankar has recently unveiled the first chapter of her mini album titled 'Forever, For Now.' Additionally, she is set to embark on a tour in India, complemented by her upcoming engagement at Lollapalooza.

Anoushka Shankar has recently unveiled the first chapter of her mini album titled 'Forever, For Now.' Additionally, she is set to embark on a tour in India, complemented by her upcoming engagement at Lollapalooza. Shankar boasts of many accomplishments. All the while being a sitarist, Shankar has been the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield; the first Indian musician to perform live and to serve as a presenter at the Grammy Awards, and now has nine nominations under her belt. A lot of this discipline comes from her family. The Shankar house was seldom a silent place. Musicians were a permanent presence. In this talk with WION, where Shankar joined us from England via a Zoom call, the sitarist talked about how her father, Late Pandit Ravi Shankar influenced her. Let's talk about your album. 'Forever. For Now'. The inspiration behind it. I mean I make albums, that's what I do. I was excited to try a new format and create a series of mini albums this time and release over the year. 'Chapter 1: Forever Now', will always be the first of the series. It was very much inspired by trying to capture a feeling of fleeting moments of beauty and peace, even in times of difficulty and pain. I wanted to make music that helped people feel joy and peace. Your father was a Grammy-winning Indian composer. Nearly all your relatives are dominating the field of music and art. Can you share what was the experience of growing up in the Shankar family like? I mean it was my only experience of growing up. For me, it was normal, even if in some ways it was unusual and extraordinary. It was very creative, there were a lot of artists always moving through, there was always music being played, and sometimes there would be dance rehearses. So I had a lot of exposure to art and culture that was formative in my life to make artistic work as well. What's the kind of discipline is required to excel in Indian classical music? What I do at this point is not exactly Indian Classical Music, but obviously, I spent decades learning it, they are the roots of everything that I do. It requires what any kind of classical form of music requires, which is a huge amount of dedication, practice and focus. To master your instrument, the vocal range, takes a lifetime of practice, focus and dedication. For a young person that can be quite difficult and will require a lot of commitment. Can you talk about the power of Indian classical music and how it has influenced the world? Indian classical music has incredible range, dynamism, excitement, and virtuosity. Most importantly, at its heart, it has that spiritual connection. There is a connection between the vibration and healing. The nuisance ragas can have a positive influence on a person. There's a reason why people across the globe, for generations keep coming back to Indian classical music, because there's something in it that's unique. What kind of sounds, and vibrations attract you? I mean I have always had a wide listening range. I love dark music, dance music, trans-trippy music, deep soulful music, and peaceful, slow music. I'm interested in honest soulful music that seems like it's coming from an artist's heart. I'm also interested in music that showcases virtuosity. I also think there is a place for fun, light-hearted music. I need the whole range as a human to reflect, the whole life and listening experience. Have you ever suffered from writer's block or a creative block? There have been times when I have felt that 'I should be writing, I should be writing', and nothing's coming. But my experience has been, that as soon as I put myself in the situation to write, whether that's putting myself in a room full of artists and musicians, or setting myself a deadline and making a commitment, then things tend to happen. It usually happens. As soon as I turn to that creative source, it is always there for me. It's just when I have disconnected I feel like I have writer's block. I used to listen to the track 'Pather Panchali' on repeat mode. Those tracks brought out unspeakable emotions. How was your experience learning from Pandit Ravi Shankar? It's one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. No question. As you said, his style of playing was so unique, and revolutionary, that you can tell that it was distinctly his composition. Learning from him was very much a unique experience. My musical style has been shaped and moulded by his imprint. I got to learn so much from his ideas systematic approach, and raga knowledge. It was hugely influential. Like many of his other disciples, I had the real benefit of learning from him, performing with him, and expanding that learning on stage. That's an incredible part of classical music learning tradition, you get to learn to perform on stage. It's unique and beautiful. You have experienced the time when music was heard from cassettes and CDs. From there to now this streaming era. Can you talk about your experience? As you said, I started making music in the 90s. My first album was made on CDs and cassettes. Slowly they evolved into streaming platforms. I think that's been creatively freeing. I wouldn't have had an idea about these mini albums. We can release music, and singles however we want. When CDs were invented, people never thought of music in the 60-minute cycle before that was created. So that shaped the idea of what we think of as an album. Now that's changing too. I think it's exciting when technology keeps evolving on how art can be made.

Anoushka Shankar on Indian Classical music: At its heart, it has a spiritual connection

Amit Trivedi spoke to WION’s Nikita Jain about the viral songs on social media and how they’ve been getting picked up in films. Watch this to know more.

Amit Trivedi on viral social media trends in music

'Decoding Shankar', a 50-minute Documentary film, directed by Deepti Pillay Sivan has done our nation proud by winning not one, but two awards at the world’s most prestigious film festival - The Cannes World Film Festival! The film struck gold in the 'Best Indian Film' and 'Best Biographical Film' categories.

 
Hearteningly, this isn’t the first time that 'Decoding Shankar' has wowed audiences and critics alike on the global stage. In fact, the film has won several awards in the 'Best International Documentary' category at multiple prestigious film festivals.&nbsp;

 
These include the likes of the Toronto &nbsp;International Women Film Festival, the Indo-French International Film Festival, the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Santa Monica Shorts, The Indie Fest Film Awards, the London Independent Film Festival, and the Red Movie Awards. A sterling list in itself!

 
The film has also made it to the official selection list at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, the Chicago Indie Film Awards, the Stuttgart International Film Festival, the Jecheon Film and Music International Film Festival, the Madrid Imagine India International Film Festival, the Gaithersburg International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India.&nbsp;

 
It isn’t just a biographical film with rich content centred around musical maestro, Shankar Mahadevan. Unlike other films of this genre, 'Decoding Shankar' offers audiences a more immersive experience closest to the source with Shankar himself narrating his story as the protagonist! Imagine hearing from Shankar as he recounts his fascinating journey - from his childhood to his dilemmas around becoming a full-time musician, from entering the would of ad jingles to eventually striking it big as a Composer and Artist.&nbsp;

 
The documentary is interspersed with relevant anecdotes and bytes from Indian celebrities across industries such as Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Akhtar, Gulzar Sahib, Farhan Akhtar, Aamir Khan, Zakir Hussain, Louis Banks, and many others who speak about their association with Shankar Mahadevan over the years. 
&nbsp;

'Decoding Shankar', a 50-minute Documentary film, directed by Deepti Pillay Sivan has done our nation proud by winning not one, but two awards at the world’s most prestigious film festival - The Cannes World Film Festival!

'Decoding Shankar', a 50-minute Documentary film, directed by Deepti Pillay Sivan has done our nation proud by winning not one, but two awards at the world’s most prestigious film festival - The Cannes World Film Festival! The film struck gold in the 'Best Indian Film' and 'Best Biographical Film' categories. Hearteningly, this isn’t the first time that 'Decoding Shankar' has wowed audiences and critics alike on the global stage. In fact, the film has won several awards in the 'Best International Documentary' category at multiple prestigious film festivals. These include the likes of the Toronto International Women Film Festival, the Indo-French International Film Festival, the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Santa Monica Shorts, The Indie Fest Film Awards, the London Independent Film Festival, and the Red Movie Awards. A sterling list in itself! The film has also made it to the official selection list at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, the Chicago Indie Film Awards, the Stuttgart International Film Festival, the Jecheon Film and Music International Film Festival, the Madrid Imagine India International Film Festival, the Gaithersburg International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India. It isn’t just a biographical film with rich content centred around musical maestro, Shankar Mahadevan. Unlike other films of this genre, 'Decoding Shankar' offers audiences a more immersive experience closest to the source with Shankar himself narrating his story as the protagonist! Imagine hearing from Shankar as he recounts his fascinating journey - from his childhood to his dilemmas around becoming a full-time musician, from entering the would of ad jingles to eventually striking it big as a Composer and Artist. The documentary is interspersed with relevant anecdotes and bytes from Indian celebrities across industries such as Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Akhtar, Gulzar Sahib, Farhan Akhtar, Aamir Khan, Zakir Hussain, Louis Banks, and many others who speak about their association with Shankar Mahadevan over the years.

Indian musician Shankar Mahadevan's biopic wins big at Cannes World Film Festival

Bhupen Hazarika's son has reportedly turned down the Bharat Ratna given to the renowned Assamese singer over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. &nbsp;

News reports Monday quoted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-ratna-for-bhupen-hazarika-a-victory-for-humanity-diversity-tej-hazarika-193299">Tej Hazarika</a>, Bhupen Hazarika's son, as telling an Assamese television news channel that he would not be accepting the Bharat Ratna.&nbsp;

The news reports quoted Tej as saying he was not accepting the award because of the current situation in the state,&nbsp;an allusion to the current unrest in the region over the Citizenship Amendment Bill.&nbsp;

Hazarika died in 2011. The Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was given to him this year on Republic Day.&nbsp;

"It is his (Tej's) decision, not mine," ANI quoted Bhupen Hazarika's brother Samar as saying. "Anyway, I think he (Bhupen) should get it. It is already too late."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Samar Hazarika, late Singer composer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhupenHazarika?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhupenHazarika</a>'s brother on reports that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhupenHazarika?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhupenHazarika</a>'s son Tej has refused to accept Bharat Ratan for Bhupen Hazarika: It is his decision, not mine. Anyway, I think he (Bhupen) should get it. It is already too late. <a href="https://t.co/3YW1ikldsb">pic.twitter.com/3YW1ikldsb</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1095013972409868288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has caused a massive uproar in the Northeast.&nbsp;

The bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who fled religious persecution from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.

The Northeast fears the bill will lead to a further influx of Bangladeshi migrants, which is why the opposition to the bill. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in the recently concluded winter session of Parliament, leading to raging protests in the northeastern states.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Bhupen Hazarika's son has reportedly turned down the Bharat Ratna given to the renowned Assamese singer over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. News reports Monday quoted Tej Hazarika, Bhupen Hazarika's son, as telling an Assamese television news channel that he would not be accepting the Bharat Ratna.

Bhupen Hazarika's son has reportedly turned down the Bharat Ratna given to the renowned Assamese singer over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. News reports Monday quoted Tej Hazarika, Bhupen Hazarika's son, as telling an Assamese television news channel that he would not be accepting the Bharat Ratna. The news reports quoted Tej as saying he was not accepting the award because of the current situation in the state, an allusion to the current unrest in the region over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Hazarika died in 2011. The Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was given to him this year on Republic Day. "It is his (Tej's) decision, not mine," ANI quoted Bhupen Hazarika's brother Samar as saying. "Anyway, I think he (Bhupen) should get it. It is already too late." Samar Hazarika, late Singer composer #BhupenHazarika's brother on reports that #BhupenHazarika's son Tej has refused to accept Bharat Ratan for Bhupen Hazarika: It is his decision, not mine. Anyway, I think he (Bhupen) should get it. It is already too late. pic.twitter.com/3YW1ikldsb — ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2019 × The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has caused a massive uproar in the Northeast. The bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who fled religious persecution from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014. The Northeast fears the bill will lead to a further influx of Bangladeshi migrants, which is why the opposition to the bill. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in the recently concluded winter session of Parliament, leading to raging protests in the northeastern states. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Bhupen Hazarika's family turns down Bharat Ratna over Citizenship Amendment Bill: Reports

Imagine 100 plus musicians coming together for performing three songs at one platform. Okay wait, don&#39;t imagine because we have a video for you

2016 can be called&nbsp;a successful year for the Indian cinema industry, owing to movie releases that offered to break stereotypical narratives, touched upon&nbsp;issues often ignored by cinema and saw some brilliant display of acting. Two movies that released last year&nbsp;&lsquo;Dear Zindagi&rsquo; and &lsquo;Udta Punjab&rsquo;, not only grossed at the box office but also received critical acclaim. There is however one other reason why it became a strong hit-- the music score. No points for guessing, but the music is lent by Amit Trivedi.

Watch these awesome musicians paying a tribute to famous Indian singer, Amit Trivedi. And the topping on the cake being a&nbsp;heartfelt perfomance by the singer himself towards the end of the performance.&nbsp;

<h3>Watch the video:&nbsp;</h3>

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_GtJmOSD-Rk" width="970"></iframe>

This video is uploaded by&nbsp;The LIVE100 Experience and the rendition was organised by Xavier Institute of Communications for their annual event&nbsp;Istoria.&nbsp;

<h3>For the love of Amit Trivedi, some of his top songs:</h3>

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fSS_R91Nimw" width="970"></iframe>

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RFNmDyBKqk8" width="970"></iframe>

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/du_3uHhWZeo?list=PLSnHskZ5YBzdJ0ptxMMS40z5bIun1nnWR" width="970"></iframe>

(WION)

Amit Trivedi is a famous Indian singer, known for his unique voice and style

Imagine 100 plus musicians coming together for performing three songs at one platform. Okay wait, don't imagine because we have a video for you 2016 can be called a successful year for the Indian cinema industry, owing to movie releases that offered to break stereotypical narratives, touched upon issues often ignored by cinema and saw some brilliant display of acting. Two movies that released last year ‘Dear Zindagi’ and ‘Udta Punjab’, not only grossed at the box office but also received critical acclaim. There is however one other reason why it became a strong hit-- the music score. No points for guessing, but the music is lent by Amit Trivedi. Watch these awesome musicians paying a tribute to famous Indian singer, Amit Trivedi. And the topping on the cake being a heartfelt perfomance by the singer himself towards the end of the performance. Watch the video: This video is uploaded by The LIVE100 Experience and the rendition was organised by Xavier Institute of Communications for their annual event Istoria. For the love of Amit Trivedi, some of his top songs: (WION)

This is what happens when 100 artists come together to sing Amit Trivedi's songs

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