MUSIC

Ravi and Anoushka Shankar

It would be hard to overstate the influence of Ravi Shankar on music in the late 20th century. The sitar virtuoso brought the classical music of India to Western audiences, becoming, in George Harrison's famous phrase, "the godfather of world music." But clearly he's not quite done. Still touring at 87, Shankar came to the Kennedy Center on Saturday afternoon and displayed much of the insight and profound musicianship that have made him a legend.

Accompanied by his 26-year-old daughter, Anoushka, and a small ensemble, Shankar performed two rarely heard "afternoon" ragas -- "Bhimpalasi" and "Pancham Se Gara" -- playing on a small, amplified sitar. It was an astonishing performance for a man his age, with moments of great beauty, and his focus never flagged. But he's undeniably frail, and it showed; the fingers no longer move with the graceful fluidity of his youth, and his playing felt strained and effortful, with only traces of the explosive vitality he once brought to the sitar.

But as Shankar nears the end of his career, his youngest daughter, Anoushka, is just beginning hers. One of the leaders of the emerging "second generation" of Indian musicians, she's been pushing out the boundaries of Indian music, integrating it with electronica and pop. But she showed herself on Saturday to be a master of the classical sitar as well, taking a deferential approach to her father but outplaying him at every turn. Marrying a sinuous, electrifying technique with a profound sense of conviction, it was clear she is her father's daughter in every way; it would have been gratifying if he'd let her play more.

Tanmoy Bose provided able, low-key accompaniment on tabla with Ravichandra Kulur on the south Indian drum called the kanjira, and Kenji Ota and Dave Cipriani on the tanpura.

-- Stephen Brookes

Ledisi

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Verve recording artist Ledisi," said the Birchmere announcer Friday night. The resulting applause was as much for the jazz label as for Ledisi herself -- Verve deserves credit for having the good sense to sign the seasoned Bay Area singer, who released her label debut, "Lost & Found," in August.

"I'm finally in the mainstream!" Ledisi remarked. And at little cost, apparently: "Lost & Found" material she performed, such as the gospel-rooted "Today" and the exultant "Joy," proved just as luscious as the work on her 2001 self-release, "Soulsinger."

Before singing "Alright," the serene first single from the new album, Ledisi confessed that Verve became nervous when the song didn't immediately fly up the charts. She said that fan support, particularly from the D.C. area, eventually made it a success. Ledisi even released a go-go mix of the single, with D. Floyd from Familiar Faces, to express her gratitude.

With increased renown, Ledisi is attracting new fans, and she easily spotted the rookies in attendance: They were the ones who sang along to her 2000 radio single "Take Time," her cover of "Yesterday" (which, shockingly, wasn't groan-inducing) and not much else. "Look at the new people," she said. "That is so funny!"

Ledisi gushed over followers who have been with her since the '90s, but was generous to the newbies. She taught them the words to "Get Outta My Kitchen" and told them she hoped they were having a good time -- although she added, "If you're not, there's nothing I can do about that."