PETALING JAYA: Sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar saved the day for Malaysian fans by hosting an intimate, last-minute pop-up show on Sunday (Oct 4) after her scheduled Kuala Lumpur concert was abruptly cancelled by the promoter.
The nine-time Grammy nominee—and daughter of legendary Hindustani classical icon Pandit Ravi Shankar—thrilled dedicated ticket holders with an impromptu set alongside her band at the Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
Shankar was originally slated to perform at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre's (KLCC) Plenary Hall on Oct 4. However, event promoter Shiraz Projects cancelled the show at the eleventh hour due to "unforeseen circumstances," despite the 45-year-old British-American musician already having arrived in Malaysia.
Expressing her frustration on social media on Saturday (Oct 3), Shankar reassured fans that full refunds would be processed by the promoter while sharing her heartfelt disappointment over the sudden cancellation.
Unwilling to leave her audience empty-handed, Shankar and her team independently organised the free pop-up performance at the smaller Brickfields venue within 24 hours.
"Please note the event has been personally arranged by me and my team," Shankar posted ahead of the performance, clarifying that entry was allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for original ticket holders and was completely separate from the official refund process. "I feel terrible for the disappointment and inconvenience this has caused... Please know how much your support means to me."
