Gingger Shankar
Encyclopedia
Career
Gingger was raised in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as well as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Growing up within one of India's most acclaimed musical families, she learned singing, violin, dance, and piano. She studied opera vocals from Rose Marie Cardinale, famed opera star. She also modeled and acted in stage productions. She attended the prestigious dance and music school, Kalakshetra, in India as a child.
She started performing at the age of 14. She toured with L. Shankar
L. Shankar
Lakshminarayanan Shankar, also known as L. Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian-born American violinist, singer and composer.-Early life:...
, Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
, and Vikku Vinayakram. She has performed in numerous festivals and venues over the years. She is the only musician aside from L. Shankar to play the double violin (a unique instrument which covers the entire orchestra range). She has worked with Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Levin
Tony Levin
Tony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
, Sussan Deyhim
Sussan Deyhim
Sussan Deyhim is an Iranian singer, composer and dancer.Born in Tehran, her career began as a dancer with Iran's Pars National Ballet company...
,James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
, Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
, Rabbit in the Moon
Rabbit In the Moon
Rabbit in the Moon was an American electronic music group. Their style draws from psychedelic trance, house music and breakbeat, along with other diverse influences.-History:...
.
In 2004, she collaborated with composers John Debney
John Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
and Shankar on the Oscar nominated score, Passion of the Christ. The film is one of the top 10 grossing films of all time. Her voice and double violin can be heard all over the movie. She is also credited with co-composing several musical cues.
For the past few years, Gingger has been associated with the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. She has performed for them several times, as well as receiving their scoring achievement award for her contribution to the film Passion of the Christ.
She is also credited with co-writing and performing on a cue for the 2007 film Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy drama film recounting the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson who partnered with "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative Gust Avrakotos to launch Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen in their...
with composer James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
.
Gingger's voice can be heard on the 2008 film The Forbidden Kingdom.
She guests on a track for the Saul Williams
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
album Niggy Tardust produced by Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
.
March 2007, Gingger was one of the headliners of San Diego Indie Music Festival, featuring artists such as Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
, Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
In 2007, she was chosen as one of six film composers chosen to attend the prestigious Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
Composer's Lab.
In July 2007, Gingger appeared in two Sgt. Pepper's 40th Year Anniversary Concerts at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
, which featured Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
, Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, and others.
The show was repeated in June 2008 at the Bowl with Cheap Trick and special guests Simone
Simone
Simone is a female given name derived from Simon, Hebrew Simeon, meaning "one who hears". It first appears in Iberia from the 10th century, as Jimena, Ximena, feminine eponym of Jimeno II of Pamplona, founder of the Jiménez dynasty...
, Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
, and Ian Ball
Ian Ball
Ian Ball is an English singer songwriter, most notable for being part of the indie rock band Gomez, sharing lead vocals and guitars. He has also performed and released a solo recording. He is also a member of the 14 piece supergroup Operation Aloha along with fellow Gomez member Olly Peacock...
.
In 2008, she made her debut as a soprano with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Osvaldo Golijov's "Ainadamar". She performed with former Dirty Vegas
Dirty Vegas
Dirty Vegas is a Grammy Award-winning British house music trio made up of Ben Harris and Paul Harris on instruments and production and Steve Smith on vocals...
frontman Steve Smith
Steve Smith (house music vocalist)
Steve Smith is a British house musician most notable for being one of the members of the band Dirty Vegas.-Musical career:In 1992, Steve auditioned for a band called Higher Ground, and was taken on as a percussionist...
at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
Gingger is working on her upcoming album with Adam Aaronson formerly of High Speed Scene, Chris Haynes, Scott Seiver, and others. She has previously worked with Rabbit in the Moon, collaborating with them for the Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that occurs in March in the city of Miami usually during the annual Winter Music Conference. It is held in Downtown Miami in Bicentennial Park. It was a 1-day festival from 1999-2006, a 2-day festival from 2007-2010, and was a...
in 2007.
In 2008/2009, she joined the Smashing Pumpkins for their 20th anniversary tour, singing and playing the rare 10-string violin. She can also be seen in their music video for the song G.L.O.W.
G.L.O.W.
"G.L.O.W." is a song by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It premiered on Chicago alternative rock station Q101 on September 29, 2008...
.
She also debuted at Carnegie Hall as a soprano with the opera "Ainadamar".
Gingger was one of 5 composer/musicians to perform at The Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
's Artist at the Table on opening night in 2010.
Gingger composed music for Al Massad's Sundance award winning documentary "Recycle" as well as his documentary "This is My Picture When I Was Dead", which won first prize for best documentary at the Dubai International Film Festival
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival is an international film festival based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched in 2004, it aims to foster the growth of filmmaking in the Arab world.-Overview:...
.
Gingger composed music for 2011 Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition Audience Choice Award Winning film, Circumstance
Circumstance (2011 film)
Circumstance is a 2011 dramatic film written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz. It explores homosexuality in modern Iran.-Plot:Atafeh is the teenage daughter of a well-to-do Iranian family in Tehran...
.
Discography
- 2003: Enlightenment- L.Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram
- 2004: Passion of the Christ
- 2005: Celestial BodyCelestial BodyCelestial Body is a Croatian film directed by Lukas Nola. It was released in 2000....
- 2007: Charlie Wilson's WarCharlie Wilson's WarCharlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy drama film recounting the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson who partnered with "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative Gust Avrakotos to launch Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen in their...
- 2007: Niggy Tardust- Saul Williams
- 2009: The Forbidden Kingdom
- 2010: Anywhere But HereAnywhere But Here (EP)Anywhere But Here is the first solo release by Gingger Shankar. It was released on November 4, 2008.-Track listing:...
- Solo EP