Indian Artists Shine: 6 Grammy Wins, Including Best Global Music Album for Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain’s Band

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, Indian artists made an indelible mark, clinching a remarkable total of six Grammys, with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain leading the charge with three wins. The prestigious music event, held on February 4th at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and helmed by comedian Trevor Noah for the fourth consecutive year, witnessed an unforgettable moment as Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain’s fusion ensemble, Shakti, secured the coveted Best Global Music Album award for their album “This Moment.” The victory came amidst fierce competition from outstanding releases by artists hailing from African, Caribbean, and Peruvian backgrounds.

“This Moment” comprises eight mesmerizing tracks crafted by the musical virtuosos – John McLaughlin (guitar, guitar synth), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Shankar Mahadevan (vocals), V Selvaganesh (percussion), and Ganesh Rajagopalan (violin). Released on June 30th of the previous year, the album marked a significant milestone for Shakti, emerging after a hiatus of 46 years since their last studio album, “Natural Elements,” which debuted in 1977. This triumph marks the fifth time Indian artists have triumphed in the category, formerly known as the Best World Music Album, with the last victory occurring in 2013 when Ravi Shankar clinched the accolade for his album “The Living Room Sessions Pt. 1.”

While this Grammy win signifies a maiden victory for Shankar Mahadevan, it adds yet another illustrious chapter to Zakir Hussain’s storied career. The tabla maestro had previously clinched Grammy glory in the same category in 1991 for “Planet Drum,” alongside T. H. Vinayakram, and in 1996 for “Raga Aberi,” alongside L. Shankar and T. H. Vinayakram.

Another Grammy win for Indian artists this year comes in the category of Best Global Music Performance for the song Pashto, which features Hussain, alongside Indian flautist Rakesh Chaurasia (who won two Grammys this time) and American musicians Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. Other songs of Indian connection nominated in the category were Abundance in Millets by Grammy winner Falu, featuring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Shadow Forces by Arooj Aftab and Vijay Iyer.

The album “As We Speak”, which includes the song Pashto, clinched the award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. It features a dozen songs by Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Rakesh Chaurasia. The album offers a blend of Indian and Western musical notes with a sonic tapestry of banjo, tabla, double bass, and bansuri (that would be a combination of Indian classical, Jazz and Bluegrass music).

Multiple Grammy winner Ricky Kej expressed his joy for Indian artists’ win earlier this morning, applauding Hussain, Mahadevan, Chaurasia, V Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan in a post on X. Bengaluru-based Kej won his third Grammy for the album ‘Divine Tides’ last year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

India first secured its position at the Grammys in 1968, with Ravi Shankar winning in the Best Chamber Music Performance category. Since then, Indian artists have won 19 Grammys (excluding the latest wins) across categories such as Best New Age Album, Best Song Written for Visual Media, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, and Best Classical Vocal Performance.