Shakti secures double Grammy nomination, Shankar Mahadevan dedicates honour to Zakir Hussain

Shakti, an Indian fusion band, has done it again — bringing prestige to the country, with two major nominations at the upcoming 68th Grammy Awards. The latest album of the band titled Mind Explosion, has been nominated for the Best Global Music Album category, while the song Shrini’s Dream is in the Best Global Music Performance category.

Shankar Mahadevan dedicates Grammy nomination to Zakir Hussain

This achievement comes after their Grammy win for the album This Moment at the 2024 ceremony. However, the new nominations are tinged with sadness, as singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, who now leads the legendary band, has dedicated the honours to the group’s late co-founder, tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, who died in December 2024.

“Unfortunately, Zakir saheb is no more, so we are dedicating his album to him,” shared Mahadevan, reflecting upon the deep connection. “He and John McLaughlin started Shakti 50 years back, and I came in the year 2000. leading it now, it’s a blessing, really.”

The album is a compilation of recordings from about 25-30 live concerts across the US and Europe on their world tour in 2024. According to Mahadevan, the band was in the process of releasing it when Zakir Hussain passed away.

“It’s a void that can’t be filled. Creating a cohesive album from live shows was challenging, but we did it and it’s an honour to be recognised with two Grammy nominations. We will miss him a lot,” he added.

The line-up presently consists of Mahadevan, guitarist John McLaughlin, percussionist V Selvaganesh, and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. In anticipation of the Grammy ceremony on February 1, 2026, Mahadevan felt both thrilled and sad.

Other Indian nominees at the 68th Grammy Awards include sitarist Anoushka Shankar, for Chapter III: We Return to Light, Delhi-based singer-composer Siddhant Bhatia for Sounds of Kumbha, and Indo-American pianist Charu Suri for her record Shayan.

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