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Ravi Shankar denies rift with Norah Jones

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON FEB. 26. The sitar maestro, Ravi Shankar, has denied any rift with his famous American daughter, Norah Jones — this year's Grammy sensation — and said that "we are the best of friends''.

``There is no rift between us,'' he told The Guardian, a day after newspapers reported that Ms. Jones made unflattering remarks about him after receiving the Grammy awards.

It was reported that in her acceptance, she pointedly made no mention of her father while effusively praising her mother, Sue Jones, with whom Ravi Shankar had had a long relationship. She was also reported to have said that she did not care to wear a good luck charm he sent her.

Ravi Shankar said that he had not been able to speak to her after she got the awards but had sent her an e-mail and left her a message.

He said there had been "stories'' about a rift but they were not true. "But the truth is just that I lost her for nearly ten years. I couldn't find her when her mother moved away, and Sue didn't want me to be in touch with her. But we are the best of friends now. She is an adoring big sister to (my younger daughter) Anoushka. She is my daughter and I love her,'' he said.

This is in contrast with the way their relations have been portrayed in the media. "Jones was shattered when her father left home, when she was young, to marry another woman. Ravi Shankar saw her perform for the first time 11 months ago,'' The Daily Telegraph said pointing out that by not mentioning her "legendary'' father in her acceptance speech, Ms Jones had "snubbed'' him.

In his interview, Ravi Shankar said he had had never had the "opportunity'' to give music lessons to her but saw her "all the time'' until she was eight-and-a-half years old. "...then her mother moved away with her and I didn't see her again for almost seven years. From the time she turned 18, however, we have been meeting regularly. She comes to my place in California or India,'' he said.

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