Image Credits (Grammy Awards)
Indian music rang out at Sunday’s Grammy Awards as Zakir Hussain and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia won the award for Best Global Music Performance for the song “Pashto” along with American musicians Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer.
Hussain also won his second Grammy on the same night when his band ‘Shakti’, which includes British guitarist John McLaughlin and Shankar Mahadevan, percussionist V Selvaganesh and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, won the Grammy for global music album ‘This Moment’.
McLaughlin formed Shakti in 1973 with Hussain, Indian violinist L Shankar and percussionist TH ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram (father of Selvaganesh Vinayakram). Along with mridangam player Ramnad V Raghavan, the group released their first album ‘Shakti with John Mclaughlin’ in 1975.
Image Credits (Grammy Awards)
The tabla maestro created history at the Grammys by becoming the first Indian artist to win three Grammys in a single night when he also won in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category. Hussain shared the award for best contemporary instrumental album with Chaurasia, Fleck and Meyer for ‘As We Speak.’
In his speech, Mahadevan did not fail to thank India. “Thank you guys. Thanks to God, family, friends and India. India, we are proud of you,” he said in his now viral speech. “Last but not least, I would like to dedicate this award to my wife, to whom every note of my music is dedicated,” he added.
The Grammys, which opened with a high-octane performance by Dua Lipa, also saw pop star Miley Cyrus win her first Grammy for her empowerment anthem “Flowers.”
