Indian fusion band Shakti, consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, V Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan, won the Best Global Music Album award at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Their album ‘This Moment’ features 8 songs and was released on June 30 last year.
Shankar Mahadevan expressed gratitude to his bandmates, family, friends, and dedicated the award to his wife. The nation of India celebrated this proud moment.
Sharing a picture with the Grammy Trophy on his social media profile, Shankar Mahadevan wrote, “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.”
“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” @shakti50tour @zakirhq9 @officialjohnmclaughlin @kanjeeraselva @violinganeshofficial #Grammy #BestGlobalAlbum #Shakti #ThisMoment” added Mahadevan.
The band, originally formed in 1973 by jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, regrouped in the late ’90s with Shankar Mahadevan on vocals and Selvaganesh Vinayakram replacing his father Vikku on percussion. The ensemble gained recognition in the emerging world music genre.
Despite disbanding in 1978, Shakti has seen several reconstitutions over the years, each time adding a new creative dimension. After a hiatus following the 2014 demise of Mandolin U Shrinivas, the band once again reassembled in early 2020, welcoming violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan for sold-out concerts in Kolkata and Singapore.
