Keeping with the trend of Indian musicians being recognised on a global stage, Shakti, the legendary fusion band comprising Shankar Mahadevan, Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, V Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan just bagged a Grammy Award for ‘Best Global Music Album’. This comes almost a full year after composer M M Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won an Oscar for the chart-busting Naatu Naatu from S S Rajamouli’s RRR.
This Moment, the Shakti album in question comes 46 years after their last, Natural Elements (1977). The album launch was followed by a world tour. When guitarist McLaughlin, violin player L Shankar, tabla maestro Hussain, and ghatam-player T H “Vikku” Vinayakram first formed the band in 1973, they called it Turiyananda Sangit (The pinnacle delight in music) and were one of the first to truly blend Eastern and Western music traditions. The result was a unique sort of fusion sound that combined Indian classical music (especially that carrying Hindustani and Carnatic elements) with elements of jazz and blues.
In 1997, McLaughlin and Hussain decided to start a new band in the same vein, which they called “Remember Shakti” and included V. Selvaganesh (son of Vinayakram), mandolin player U Shrinivas and Shankar Mahadevan. After a significant gap, which was interspersed with a handful of releases and concerts, Shakti, which by now, had been tagged in the “world fusion” category, reconstituted itself in 2020 with the addition of violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan.
The comeback, as it were, took place on the band’s 50th anniversary in 2023, with the release of This Moment, a powerful juxtaposition of shorter, groovier electro-mix tracks and softer, mellifluous tunes. Below, we round up the best of their sound; instant mood-lifters that need to be on your playlist.
Shakti bags Grammy Award: 7 soul-stirring songs by Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain’s fusion band to add to your playlist right now
1. Giriraj Sudha
From the 2001 album Remember Shakti – Saturday Night in Bombay, Giriraj Sudha is a track the band is known to play in almost every live concert. Mahadevan’s elastic vocals are matched by Rajagoplan’s violin strings, with Hussain’s beats forming a delightful base.
2. Mohanam
McLaughlin calls Mohanam, one of the eight tracks from the Grammy-winning This Moment “a joyful piece”, with the song carrying through with its unhurried grace and instrumental weaves.
3. Two Sisters
This soul-stirring number from the 1976 album A Handful of Beauty is at times haunting, and at others transcendental.
4. Shrini’s Dream
Another power-packed number from This Moment, Shrini’s Dream comprises all the elements of a song that’s designed to take you into a royal state of mind.
5. Peace of Mind
Peace of Mind, from their 1977 album Natural Elements, is a soothing, meditative track that relies heavily on McLaughlin’s extraordinary acoustics.
6. India
One of the more popular tracks from 1976’s A Handful of Beauty, India brings the stirring sounds of the mandolin to the forefront and goes on to blend in with the huskier notes of the violin.
7. Come on Baby Dance With Me
As evidenced by the name itself, this playful track from 1977 is full of light, meandering notes that are highlighted by the infallible percussion at play.
