Heart v technique with Norah Jones, Nitin Sawhney, Anoushka Shankar and Soumik Datta

An absolutely fascinating discussion this week sees Nitin Sawhney welcome Norah Jones, Anoushka Shankar and Soumik Datta to discuss the differences between being a solo artist versus being part of a band, the importance of playing with heart over technique, and how collaborating and working with different musicians changes their sound. Nitin Sawhney grew up studying the piano, guitar, sitar and tabla. He has released scores of albums, and composed for theatre, dance, video games and cinema, including the film Mowgli for Netflix and the BBC TV series Human Planet. He’s also worked with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Joss Stone, Annie Lennox, Sting, and Mira Nair. Norah Jones is a nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician. She launched her solo music career in 2002 with her debut album Come Away with Me, and since then she’s sold over 50 million records worldwide. She’s also collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Outkast, Foo Fighters, Willie Nelson, Q-Tip and former Music Life guest Robert Glasper.

Anoushka Shankar is a musician, composer and producer who began training on the sitar with her father, Ravi. She made her professional debut at the age of 13 and had made three classical solo records by the time she was twenty. She was also the first Indian musician to perform live at the Grammy Awards, and she has worked with the likes of M.I.A., Rodrigo y Gabriela, Gold Panda, Lenny Kravitz, Deva Premal, and Zakir Hussain. And finally, Soumik Datta is a British-Indian musician and composer who specialises in the sarod. He has collaborated with Beyoncé, Joss Stone, Anoushka Shankar, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and host Nitin Sawhney. He has also presented documentaries examining how music helps us understand India’s past and present, and was invited by Jay-Z to join him on stage for Royal Albert Hall’s first ever hip-hop concert.