We did it: Shankar Mahadevan on Grammy win for fusion music group Shakti

PTI, Feb 7, 2024, 12:15 PM IST

Dreams do come true, an elated singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan said after his fusion music group Shakti won the Grammy Award for best global music album.

The group, which also includes founding member, guitarist John McLaughlin, as well as tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram, won the award for the album ”This Moment”.

”We did it. I never imagined that a band from where I have learnt my music and my musical aesthetics would be the band with whom I would eventually perform and win a Grammy,” Mahadevan, who was in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena to receive his award, said in an Instagram post on Tuesday night.

He also shared several photographs from the prestigious award ceremony celebrating the best of global music. ”This is the moment from which I can easily say that dreams do come true. Shakti was a dream which came true! thank you Almighty for making this happen! It’s truly ‘This Moment’,” the 56-year-old musician wrote.

”This Moment”, Shakti’s first studio album in more than 45 years, released to critical acclaim in June 2023.

In his acceptance speech at the Grammys, Mahadevan had dedicated the win to his wife Sangeeta. He had taken the stage alongside Rajagopalan and Selvaganesh. McLaughlin had given the ceremony a miss, while Hussain was backstage.

”We miss you John ji. Zakir Hussain, he just had another Grammy today. Thank you boys, God, family, friends and India. We are proud of you, India,” Mahadevan said in the speech.

At the annual award ceremony, veteran tabla player Hussain was India’s big winner with three Grammys. He won two other awards for the best global music performance for ”Pashto” and best contemporary instrumental album for ”As We Speak”.