Anoushka Shankar is a six-time grammy award nominated sitarist, composer and producer. This song is a shift from her normal content, it’s more intimate. She pushes the boundaries of how the sitar is heard and perceived. This song features a german-turkish songwriter, composer and producer Alev Lenz, “Bright Eyes” is a harrowing recollection of heartbreak and loss.

Listening to this song, you can just feel the heart break and the betrayal in the lyrics. My interpretation of the sitar is that it gives an almost calming feeling, almost accepting what’s happened. The other instruments in the background are, ghatam, piano and upright bass. Those together add a very somber tone to the overall song. I chose this song because I enjoyed the fact that I could feel the pain that created the song. Watching Alev Lenz perform that song is a very different feeling than just hearing the audio. When you put the face to the voice and lyrics, I feel that it really humanizes even more. Seeing the emotion in her face while performing sends me chills. The ending is my favorite part.

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/xNzPqFYcuKY