Indian tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan secured a Grammy at the 66th Grammy Awards ceremony for their contributions to the global fusion music landscape.
Both artists clinched the Grammy in the Best Global Music Album category for their collaborative project, Shakti’s 2023 studio album, “This Moment.” Additionally, Zakir earned another award in the Best Global Music Performance category for the track “Pashto,” featuring Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia.
Rakesh, a virtuoso flutist, achieved a dual triumph with two awards for his album “As We Speak” in the Best Contemporary Instrumental and Best Global Music Performance categories.
The US-based Recording Academy congratulated the winners, stating, “Congrats Best Global Music Album winner – ‘This Moment’ Shakti. #GRAMMYs.” The ceremony took place at Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena.
“This Moment” represents Shakti’s third studio album, showcasing a fusion of Indian music and jazz. The band, consisting of Zakir, V Selvaganesh, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and John McLaughlin, made a significant comeback to the world music scene after 46 years. Shankar, serving as the lead vocalist since the band’s formation in 1974, celebrated the victory with heartfelt gratitude, dedicating the award to his wife Sangeeta.
Ricky Kej, a three-time Grammy Award-winning Indian music composer, expressed his admiration for the musicians’ success and shared a video of their acceptance speeches.
Zakir Hussain’s Grammy tally now stands at three, with his first win in 2009 in the Contemporary World Music Album category for “Global Drum Project,” a collaboration with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo.
