Gurupratap Rajan at 17:24, 2 December 2025

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{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Gingger Shankar
| image = Gingger Sunday Bloody Sunday Video Shoot.jpg
| alt = Gingger Shankar—an Indian woman in a black dress and black boots, with long black hair—plays 10-string violin onstage.
| birth_name = Niranjani Subramaniam
| alias = Gingger Shankar
| origin = Los Angeles, United States
| genre = Pop, Rock, [[Electronica]], [[World music|World]], [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]]
| instrument = Vocals, double violin, violin, [[viola]]
| occupations = Singer-songwriter, violinist, composer
| years_active = 2003—present
| associated_acts = [[The Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Rabbit in the Moon]]
| label = [[Sony Classical|Sony]], [[Varese Sarabande]], [[Milan Records]], [[Mondo Melodia|Universal]]
| website = [http://www.ginggershankar.com ginggershankar.com]
}}
'''Gingger Shankar''' (born '''Niranjani Subramaniam'''; in [[Los Angeles]]) is an American singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. She has [[film score|score]]d several films, including ''[[Circumstance (2011 film)|Circumstance]]''.

==Early life==
Shankar was born in Los Angeles, California and raised there and in [[India]]. She is the eldest daughter of violinist [[L. Subramaniam|Dr. L. Subramaniam]]. Her mother, [[Viji Subramaniam]], was a classical singer just like her grandmother [[Lakshmi Shankar]], sister-in-law of noted sitarist [[Ravi Shankar]].<ref name="das">{{cite web |title=Being a Shankar |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/being-a-shankar/cid/160752 |date=12 Jul 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231001224907/https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/being-a-shankar/cid/160752 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |work=Telegraph |last=Das |first=Mohua}}</ref><ref name="own site">{{cite web |title=Gingger Shankar: Bio |url=http://ginggershankar.com/?page_id=90 |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> As a child, she learned to sing, dance, and play violin and piano and attended the [[Kalakshetra]] [[creative arts]] school in [[Chennai, Tamil Nadu]]. Later, she studied opera vocals with professional opera singer [[Tantoo Cardinal]] in [[Sherman Oaks, California]]. She also modeled and acted in [[theatre|stage productions]]. She began performing professionally at age 14.

==Instruments==
Shankar plays the violin, cello and piano. She is the only woman in the world to play the [[double violin]].<ref name="own site" /> This ten-string, [[stereophonic]] instrument covers the entire orchestral range, including double bass, cello, [[viola]] and violin.<ref name="I am a Hybrid">{{cite web | title= Gingger Shankar: I am a Hybrid | url= http://www.timescrest.com/society/i-am-a-hybrid-gingger-shankar-5165 | access-date= April 9, 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110411080805/http://www.timescrest.com/society/i-am-a-hybrid-gingger-shankar-5165 | archive-date= April 11, 2011 | url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Career==

===Motion pictures===
In 2004, she performed on the score of composer [[John Debney]] for the movie ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]''.<ref>{{Citation|title=The Passion of the Christ (2004)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/fullcredits|access-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref>

She is also credited as a performer on the score the 2007 film ''[[Charlie Wilson's War (film)|Charlie Wilson's War]]'', alongside composer [[James Newton Howard]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Charlie Wilson's War (2007)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/fullcredits|access-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref>

Shankar contributed to the 2008 film ''[[The Forbidden Kingdom]]''.<ref name="own site" />

She composed music for the 2011 film, ''[[Circumstance (2011 film)|Circumstance]]'', which won the Sundance Audience Choice Award.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2011/01/sundance-2011-winners-101770/ |title=Sundance: 2011 Winners: 'Like Crazy' Wins Grand Jury Dramatic Prize, 'How To Die In Oregon' Wins Documentary | first=Mike | last=Fleming | date=January 29, 2011|work=Deadline New York}}</ref>

In 2012, she debuted her multi-media project [[Himalaya Song]] at the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. It was a project about climate change in the Himalayas with live film, narration and music created by Gingger, [[Mridu Chandra]] and Dave Liang of the [[Shanghai Restoration Project]]. It was chosen as one of the 10 Best Music Films at Sundance by [[Rolling Stone Magazine]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/pictures/the-10-best-music-films-at-sundance-2012-20120117/himalaya-song-0966340 |title=Rolling Stone: 10 Best Music Films | first=Dan | last=Hyman | date=January 17, 2012|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>

In May 2013, [[Monsoon Shootout]], a thriller she scored for director Amit Kumar premiered at the [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-monsoon-shootout-1200484337/ |title=Variety: Monsoon Shootout| first=Maggie | last=Lee | date=May 20, 2013|work=Variety}}</ref>

In 2014, Brahmin Bulls, a film she scored for director Mahesh Pailoor opened in the US. Starring [[Sendhil Ramamurthy]], [[Roshan Seth]] and [[Mary Steenburgen]], it won film festival awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2014-11-12/film/brahmin-bulls// |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115191416/http://www.villagevoice.com/2014-11-12/film/brahmin-bulls/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 15, 2014 |title=Village Voice: Brahmin Bulls| first=Serena | last=Donadoni | date=November 12, 2014|work=The Village Voice}}</ref>

In 2015, she composed the music for the virtual reality 'Project Syria' created by Nonny De La Peña which premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sundance.org/projects/project-syria |title=Project Syria |publisher=[[Sundance Institute]] |access-date=February 5, 2015 |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205153325/https://www.sundance.org/projects/project-syria |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Musician===
Shankar has performed in numerous festivals and venues alongside acts such as [[Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Tony Levin]], [[Steve Vai]], [[Steve Lukather]] and [[Sussan Deyhim]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Ben |last=Ehrenreich |url=http://www.laweekly.com/film/index.php?option=com_sponsoredlinks&task=on_sale&id=1248&Itemid=366 |title=Minuteman Divisions |publisher=LA Weekly |date=July 28, 2005 |access-date=July 16, 2013 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

She performs on a [[song|track]] in the 2007 [[Saul Williams]] album ''[[Niggy Tardust]]'', produced by [[Trent Reznor]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.discogs.com/release/1124058|title=Saul Williams– The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of NiggyTardust|publisher=discogs}}</ref>

In July 2008, Shankar appeared in two [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper's]] 40th-anniversary concerts at the [[Hollywood Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934409.html?categoryid=34&cs=1&nid=2562|newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| title=Variety Review:Sgt. Pepper's at 40: A Beatles Celebration | first=Richard S. | last=Ginell | date=August 13, 2007|access-date=September 21, 2012}}</ref>

On July 16, 2012, she appeared in the music video "Love All Humans" alongside guitarist [[Anthony Gallo]], actress [[Kate Kelton]], model Tara Bre and others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://loveallhumans.com/CAST___CREW.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411074727/http://loveallhumans.com/CAST___CREW.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |title=Cast & Crew |publisher=Loveallhumans.com |access-date=July 16, 2013 }}</ref>

In 2014, she performed at the George Fest in Los Angeles with the [[Flaming Lips]] honoring George Harrison. Other artists included [[Weird Al Yankovic]], [[Brandon Flowers]], [[Norah Jones]], [[Dhani Harrison]], [[Brian Wilson]] and more.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thebestfest.com/fests/george-fest-los-angeles/ |title=The Best Fest |first=Best |last=Fest |date=September 28, 2014 |access-date=February 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204194113/http://www.thebestfest.com/fests/george-fest-los-angeles/ |archive-date=February 4, 2015 }}</ref>

In 2014 she released music video cover of [[U2]]'s [[Sunday Bloody Sunday]] directed by [[Nicholas Bruckman]] through [[Paste Magazine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/06/catching-up-with-gingger-shankar-and-nicholas-bruc.html| title= Catching Up With Gingger Shankar and Nicholas Bruckman| first=Michael| last=Dunaway | date=June 14, 2014|access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Original===
*2019: ''[[Article 15 (film)|Article 15]]''

===Film scores===
* 2008: ''[[The Forbidden Kingdom]]''
* 2011: ''[[Circumstance (2011 film)|Circumstance]]''
* 2011: ''Homecoming Film''
* 2011: ''[[Bedouin]]''
* 2012: ''419''
* 2012: ''[[Himalaya Song]]'' – Collaboration with [[Shanghai Restoration Project]]
* 2013: ''[[Dose of Reality]]''
* 2013: ''[[The Missing Tomb]] [[National Geographic Channel|National Geographic]]''
* 2013: ''[[Monsoon Shootout]]''
* 2014: ''Girl, Adopted Documentary''
* 2014: ''[[Brahmin Bulls]]''
* 2014: ''[[Water & Power]]''
* 2014: ''[[Katiyabaaz]]'' Documentary
* 2014: ''[[Teacher in a Box (film)|Teacher in a Box]]''- [[ITVS]]
* 2016: ''[[AWOL (2016 film)|AWOL]]''
* 2016: ''[[Six LA Love Stories]]''
* 2018: ''[[Heartbeats (2018 film)|Heartbeats]]''

===Music albums===
* 2003: ''[[Enlightenment (Gingger Shankar album)|Enlightenment]] – L. Shankar, [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], [[T. H. Vinayakram|Vikku Vinayakram]]''
* 2008: ''[[The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!]]'' – [[Saul Williams]]
* 2010: ''Anywhere But Here'' – Solo EP

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.ginggershankar.com Official Website]

{{Shankar family}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shankar, Gingger}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Singers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Musicians from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American film score composers]]
[[Category:American women film score composers]]
[[Category:Carnatic instrumentalists]]
[[Category:Tamil musicians]]
[[Category:Kalakshetra Foundation alumni]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from California]]
[[Category:American musicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American classical musicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Indian Tamil descent]]
[[Category:Expatriate musicians in India]]
[[Category:American expatriate musicians]]
[[Category:American expatriates in India]]
[[Category:21st-century American violinists]]
[[Category:American women violinists]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century American classical composers]]
[[Category:Shankar family|Gingger]]

Gingger Shankar - Revision history

Gurupratap Rajan at 17:24, 2 December 2025