Sorry, never said thanks for answering my question did I?......thanks!!
A very brief interview with IA from
www.outlookindia.comIan Anderson
Frontman of rock band Jethro Tull on their upcoming tour of India with Anoushka Shankar
Pradeep Dharmapalan interviews Ian Anderson
Five shows in India with Anoushka. Fusion of another kind?
We have a plan. I’ve written some music for us to play together, there are some pieces from her latest album and a couple of Jethro Tull pieces where Anoushka will have a free rein.
All blending neatly into one...
It’s actually the conflict between musical styles that makes it interesting. The differences should be stressed as well as the similarities.
What do you think of Indian composers?
A.R. Rahman and Nitin Sawhney have brought a new element into Indian music that gives it broader appeal but retains its unique cultural roots and musical heritage.
Old fans or new ones, who do you play for?
It’s a tricky line to walk, trading on nostalgia and playing the familiar set-list goodies and introducing other elements of the band’s repertoire to those who have not heard us before.
Your music is not overtly social or political.
I am wary of confusing music with politics and feel they should remain apart.
But you’ve steered clear of ‘popular’ forms...
I didn’t go for the poppy stuff. I much preferred the slightly darker, more challenging strands of jazz and blues and folk music.
Forty years on, has your musical journey matched your expectations?
In 1968 I didn’t really anticipate a career as a performing musician for more than few years.
As many as 120 concerts a year. Do you wake up every day raring to go?
I feel quite energised and the older I get, the happier I am to have another day to wake up to—I would say that waking up in the morning tops the list of my favourite hobbies!
What next?
Things like writing more for the media.
Are you writing a book?
I don’t have a particularly burning desire to become a novelist or to write an autobiography, but anything is possible.