Vocalist | Violinist | Composer | Producer
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC LEGEND • WORLD MUSIC ICON
L. Shankar is widely celebrated as a musical genius and legend by his peers, who hold him in the highest esteem. A child prodigy and virtuoso, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of East-West music, enthralling audiences and critics alike all over the world. As an international touring artist with a career spanning decades, Shankar has achieved international acclaim through his award-winning solo projects and collaborations with legendary artists including Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Michael Jackson, Madonna and numerous esteemed musicians worldwide.
Shankar's probably the best violinist in the world; he's really incredible
— Frank Zappa, BAM Magazine, October 5, 1979
“My friend Shenkar is a legendary musician. An extraordinary vocalist, violinist and composer. I always had a great time working with him on Queen of the Damned, my 2 solo albums, my solo world tours and his solo albums. Don’t forget to check out “Chepleeri Dream”. I highly recommend it. It’s awesome!”
- Jonathan Davis (Korn)
“My friend Shankar is an exceptional musician, and it’s been a pleasure to work with him both on his own music and Peter Gabriel’s.”
- Tony Levin
“Working with L. Shankar on this project has been a great experience. His compositions are very enjoyable to play, and his arrangements are always very interesting. I am very grateful and humbled to be part of this.”
- Chester Thompson
L.Shankar & Peter Gabriel collaboration on the Last Temptation of Christ 1988
One of L. Shankar's greatest recordings came in 1988 when he was asked to collaborate on Peter Gabriel's soundtrack for 'The Last Temptation of Christ' which would become known as 'Passion'. Here Shankar truly gave what is probably the most sublime performance of his career. What is not known to the general public though, is that Shankar's involvement in the project not only consisted of contributing violin and vocals, but in fact featured much of his own music.
L.Shankar & Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis talks about his collaboration with L. Shankar in the documentary Jonathan Davis: Through the BLACK LABYRINTH. Beginning with his solo tour in 2008 and covering the recording and eventual release of the album, the film uses a decade’s worth of candid footage to explore the personal journey Jonathan Davis took and what creating music means to him. Released in 2018.
L.Shankar & Phil Collins
L. Shankar and Phil Collins talk about their collaboration on the 'Face Value' album in a documentary from 1999.
Vocalist | Violinist | Composer | Producer
L. Shankar
L.Shankar is widely considered a living legend, a pioneer and a musical genius by his peers who hold him in the highest esteem. Shankar has enthralled audiences and critics alike all over the world. A child prodigy who is a virtuoso vocalist, violinist, composer and record producer who has sold over 100 million albums through his solo projects and collaborations with other superstar musicians throughout the world.
Shankar was born in Madras, his parents from Kerala, he grew up in Jaffna, Sri Lanka where his father V. Lakshminarayana was a professor at the Jaffna College of Music. Shankar was exposed to Carnatic music and other styles from an early age. He started studying the vocals at the age of two then violin at five then mridangam at seven. His father was an esteemed violinist, vocalist, his mother L. Seethalakshmi was an excellent veena player and vocalist; all his five older siblings were also proficient in music. At the age of seven, Shankar gave his first public concert, at a Ceylonese temple, Nallur Kandaswamy.
In 1958, following the ethnic riots in Sri Lanka, his family escaped to India. In that year, Shankar and his two older brothers formed the Violin Trio along with Palghat Mani Iyer which made history in the 20th century Carnatic music scene. He gained a large following performing with some of the most eminent names in Carnatic music, playing all through India, and was highly sought after by legendary musicians such as Chembai Vaithyanatha Baghavatar, Palghat Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Alathur Srinivasa Iyer and many others.
In 1973, John Mclaughlin and Shankar formed the band Turiyananda Sangeet and they co-wrote all the music for it. The band also included Ramnad Raghavan on the mridangam. Zakir Hussain was later added on tabla and the band name was changed to Shakti. Raghavan didn't stay with the project and T.H. Vikku Vinayakaram was added on ghatam for the remainder of those original Shakti days. The band toured extensively around the world. Shankar co-wrote all of the group's material with John McLaughlin, resulting in the release of three world music albums. According to Downbeat music magazine critic Lee Underwood, "All three are masterpieces, of which the deeply moving and technically astonishing Handful of Beauty will stand tall in recorded history for decades to come.”
He also performed extensively on his Indian classical tours with Zakir Hussain and Vinayakram that became a big hit globally. He recorded several classical albums with them featuring his groundbreaking Ragam Tanam Pallavi compositions in highly complex rhythmic cycles that were ahead of their time. He recorded 8 world music albums for the reputed German label ECM and toured extensively featuring renowned musicians such as saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, Kenny Wheeler, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell and Naná Vasconcelos in many Jazz and world music festivals organized by his label ECM.
In 1991, Shankar launched the tribute concerts in memory of his late father, V. Lakshminarayana called the Lakshminarayana Music Festival. The 1992 BBC film 'Bombay and All that Jazz' directed by award winning director H.O. Nazareth and co-produced by Shankar was based on the Lakshminarayana World Music Festival concert that took place in Bombay on New Year's Day 1992, featuring notable musicians including Don Cherry, TH Vinayakram and Trilok Gurtu. The film was nominated as one of the best documentaries at the Cannes Film Festival.
Shankar created and designed his own invention, first of its kind the 10-string stereophonic Double Violin, (also known as the LSD - L.Shankar’s Double violin) built by Ken Parker and later adopted by other violinists. The Double Violin features two necks, each with a range of 5½ octaves, for a combined total of 11 octaves, and covers the entire range of the orchestra: bass, cello, viola, and violin.
Shankar is a one-of-a-kind musician venturing in different genres of music. Besides his numerous classical albums he has released worldwide several pop, rock, electronic dance music hit albums and videos including the musical composition of the 2005 Oscar winning documentary, “Born Into Brothels”. Shankar’s work has been featured in the following films: “Queen of The Damned”, “Ali”, “Jennifer 8ʺ, “Robin Hood”, “Jacobs Ladder” and more. Shankar's pop, rock, electronic dance music albums have featured guest artists such as Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, John Waite, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Ginger Baker, Toto, Jonathon Davis (Korn), Natasha Bedingfield, Pat Monahan (Train), Randy Jackson (American Idol) and Patrick Leonard (Madonna) amongst others.
Shankar’s pop DVD, “One In A Million”, became the number 1 DVD in the US spending 4 weeks on top of the U.S. Soundscan/Billboard charts. Shankar has also collaborated with Frank Zappa (who produced Shankar’s solo record for Zappa Records), Talking Heads, Pete Townsend, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithful, Sting, Jeff Beck, U2, The Pretenders, Echo & The Bunnymen, John Lydon (Public Image Ltd.), George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Dave Stewart, Pete Townsend (The Who), Jonathan Davis (Korn), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction) and many more. Shankar has worked on numerous soundtracks including the Grammy award winning and controversial “The Last Temptation of Christ” by the legendary film maker Martin Scorsese. He co-wrote many tracks with Peter Gabriel and his vocals were featured in the movie. In 2004 Shankar, composed and performed vocals on Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. His unmistakable haunting voice was heard all through the movie.
Additional special projects included invitations to perform at The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala 1988 in England, The United Nations Peace Day Festival, and Nelson Mandela's 80th Birthday celebration. The rock extravaganza, Human Rights Now World Tour in 1988, featured Shankar's own group, who were joined in performance by Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, in addition to several other musicians. Shankar collaborated with the gifted duo Wendy & Lisa (Prince) on their original score for the NBC smash hit TV series “Heroes”. He wrote all his vocal parts and was the featured lead vocalist on the theme and all episodes of “Heroes” and in the “Heroes-Reborn” TV series. His voice is featured on the recent hit TV show Fear the Walking Dead.
In 2020, Shankar released worldwide his critically acclaimed progressive rock album "Chepleeri Dream” by Cleopatra Records from Hollywood which features internationally renowned superstars such as Jonathan Davis (Korn), Scott Page (Pink Floyd), Stephen Perkins ( Jane's Addiction), Norwood Fisher (Fishbone),Tony Levin (John Lennon, Peter Gabriel), Chester Thompson (Phil Collins, Genesis), Josh Lopez Will.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas), Zack Baird (Korn, Beyonce / Jay-Z).
In August 2024, Shankar released Over the Stars with his dear friend and longtime collaborator on ghatam, Vikku Vinayakram—one of South India’s greatest percussionists. The album also featured Vikku’s son, the renowned percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram, and his grandson, Swaminathan Selvaganesh, both on kanjira. One month later, in September 2024, Shankar released Full Moon, a sequel to Over the Stars, this time featuring tabla maestro, Abhijit Banerjee. The album reached #3 on the World Music Charts Europe in 2025. According to music critic Angel Romero, "Each track reveals his mastery of both form and feeling, underscoring his lifelong commitment to expanding the expressive capacity of Indian classical music."
Shankar currently resides in Malaysia and India in between tours.
Press Quotes
"L. Shankar, the Indian violin virtuoso whose career has spanned over five decades, remains one of the most audacious architects of world music, forging bridges between Carnatic traditions and the restless energies of jazz, rock, and pop with a double-necked violin that sings like an entire orchestra" - Asia News
"Two Shankars, one Ravi Shankar and one L.Shankar are probably the best known Indian names in world music. One familiarised the Hindustani sitar, the other took Carnatic raga music through his double violin and voice to every known idiom from classical, to rock and roll, to jazz to EDM creating music that defies definition." - Times of India
"L.Shankar, an acclaimed virtuoso violinist, singer, composer and producer who has sold over ten million albums, is a musical pioneer. He embraces with equal ease three idioms of music: Indian classical, world music and pop/rock" - Hinduism Today
"His solo recordings avoid entirely the excesses of fusion jazz. Instead, they pursue a plangent serenity that, when it reaches the heights ..., suggests a transcendence unheard in jazz ” - The Washington Post
"Grandmaster vocalist and violinist, L. Shankar...considered a living legend, has awed and delighted audiences all over the world live and with his albums" - Celebrity Zones
"Shankar’s music is rich & melodic..." SPIN Magazine
"His solo albums have always drawn not only enormous interest from fans and critics alike but also showcase the collaborative spirit that is integral to Shankar’s art." - All About Jazz
"Two hundred years from now L. Shankar may be idolized as the new Muthuswami Dikshitar." - Hinduism Today
"Music critic Abigail Neufell called him among the greatest violinists in the world." - India Today
"In Shankar we encounter extraordinary virtuosity, brilliance of tone, and a fiery radiance of spirit." - Raves the Record Review
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