(Exclusive) Rakesh Chaurasia on winning two Grammys: It felt overwhelming
The flautist connects with HT City soon after the ceremony in Los Angeles to express his joy of winning two awards at his Grammy debut.
“I’ve never felt what I felt today. Winning my first Grammy was so overwhelming. I couldn’t believe it,” flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, who won two Grammy Awards yesterday, tells us after the ceremony. The album As We Speak, featuring musicians Ustad Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Chaurasia, secured a dual win in the Best Contemporary Instrumental and Best Global Music Performance categories. Chaurasia adds, “The first thing that came to my mind was that this win belongs to not just me, but my country. I can’t wait to reach India and celebrate the win back home.”
He goes on to talk about the vibe at the awards venue, Crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles. “The atmosphere at the venue was so musical. Being with artistes from across the world and receiving love from them after the win was heartwarming. It’s the biggest award for a musician. There are so many good musicians and albums out there, so winning these Grammys is definitely an honour,” says Chaurasia.
He adds, “I am so grateful to Zakir bhai, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. They are amazing musicians. Working with them was anyway a huge honour and my happiness has grown manifold after this win. I cannot thank God enough.”
Meanwhile, the fusion band Shakti, comprising John McLaughlin (guitarist), Shankar Mahadevan (vocalist), Ustad Zakir Hussain (tabla player), V Selvaganesh (percussionist) and Ganesh Rajagopalan (violinist), also created history at the 66th Grammy Awards by winning the Best Global Album Award for This Moment, their first studio album in 46 years. Talking to us after the ceremony, Selvaganesh says, “This Moment (punning on the album title) matters the most to me. It was the best moment of my life. This is Shakti’s 50th year and this is our first studio. We couldn’t have asked for more. My dad (veteran percussionist Vikku Vinayakram) was part of Shakti for 25 years and I grew up listening to the band. Having been a part of it for 25 years now, this feels like a dream.”
