It Was Fun Being Backstage at Grammys: Anoushka Shankar

Los Angeles, Feb 17 (IANS) Acclaimed sitarist Anoushka Shankar, who recently presented at the 58th annual Grammy Awards, said she had "fun" being backstage with the people she admires.

"It was really fun being backstage with people I admire and getting to be a part of what many call the 'real' Grammys in the daytime, where a truly global and diverse group of artists are represented," Anoushka, had earlier shared that she is the "first ever Indian musician" to present at the ceremony, told IANS in an email interview.

Anoushka was also nominated for an award in the Best World Music Album category for her solo album "Home" but she couldn't grab the coveted trophy. This was the fifth time that Anoushka was nominated for the Grammy Awards.

She lost out to Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo.

"I teased Angelique to stop beating me in that category! She's an amazing artist and woman and deserves every win though," Anoushka sportingly said about her defeat.

However, she praised Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia for winning Best Music Film award for "Amy", a documentary on the life of late singer Amy Winehouse.

"Oh, without doubt he deserved that win. 'Amy' is an incredible documentary into the life of a unique artist and the trials of an addict. Recovery is something very close to my heart for personal reasons and therefore, the film impacted me greatly," she said.

The daughter of late sitar player Ravi Shankar said that she enjoyed rapper Kendrick Lamar's performance the most. Lamar won big with five trophies for his album "To Pimp a Butterfly" at the Grammy Awards, which was held here on Monday.

"Without a doubt, Kendrick Lamar's visceral and politically-charged performance was my favourite. In the face of controversy around how white the Oscars have been, I felt proud in that moment," she said.

Anoushka, who is ready with her new album "Land of Gold", says she is going to tour India later this year to promote it.

"Yes, I will be touring, although not until later in the year. We begin the tour in North America before travelling through Europe and finally India and the Middle East late-autumn onwards," she added.

The album, which will release on April 1, is said to be her response to the trauma and injustice being experienced by refugees and victims of war, taking inspiration from recent news images of people fleeing civil war, oppression, poverty and unbearable hardship.