Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain achieved a remarkable feat at the 66th Grammy Awards, held in the US on Monday, by clinching three prestigious awards. The acclaimed musician and composer secured the coveted award in the 'Best Global Music Performance' category for his composition 'Pashto'.
During his acceptance speech on behalf of his fellow musicians Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia, who collaborated on 'Pashto', the 72-year-old percussionist expressed his gratitude, stating, "Thanks to the Academy, thanks to all these great musicians for giving us beautiful music...our deepest thanks to our families...without them, we are nothing... without love, without music, without harmony, we are nothing."
Additionally, his collaboration with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia on the album 'As We Speak' earned them the Grammy for the 'Best Contemporary Instrumental Album' category. The Academy, in announcing their win, congratulated them stating, "Congrats Best Contemporary Instrumental Album winner - 'As We Speak' @belafleckbanjo, @zakirhtabla, @edgarmeyerjrft, @rakeshflute. #GRAMMYs."
Furthermore, Hussain's involvement with the jazz group 'Shakti' contributed to their victory in the 'Best Global Music Album' category for their latest album 'This Moment'. The album features eight tracks composed by John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, V Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan. They were nominated alongside artists like Susana Baca, Bokante, Burna Boy, and Davido.
Despite their exceptional success, Hussain and his collaborators fell short in the 'Best Instrumental Composition' category, which was won by John Williams for 'Helena's Theme'. Their composition 'Motion' was also nominated in this category.