MUMBAI: A R Rahman was recently awarded Japan’s Fukuoka prize – 2016 for his outstanding contribution to creating, preserving and showcasing South Asian traditional fusion music. This is however, not the first time when an Indian musician has received international laurels.
Here’s a selection of the choicest Indian artistes, honoured with International awards.
Pandit Ravi Shankar- Grammy Award
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Shankar is one of those rare names who have made India proud internationally, right since the 1960s. Known as one of the best exponents of the sitar in the 20th century, Pt Ravi Shankar was honoured with four Grammy Awards including one Lifetime Achievement Grammy. A 1967 performance at the Monterey Film Festival named ‘West Meets East’ brought Shankar a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. The album of a charity concert called ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ happened in August 1971. This won the ace musician his second Grammy. His third Grammy came in 2000 for his album ‘Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000’. The Lifetime achievement Grammy came only a few days after he passed away on 11 December 2012 at the age of 92.
Gulzar- Oscar and Grammy Award
Veteran lyricist Gulzar won an Academy award and a Grammy for SlumDog Millionaire in 2009. The song ‘Jai Ho’ from the film fetched him international acclaim and two prestigious awards, which he shared with A R Rahman in the category of Best Original Song (Oscar) and Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
A R Rahman- Oscar, Grammy Award, Bafta, Golden Globe, Fukuoka, Mauritius National Awards, Malaysian Award
In 2009, for his Slumdog Millionaire score, Rahman won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song, the latter shared with Gulzar) at the 81st Academy Awards.
He has won two Grammy awards – one for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and one for the Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Last week, Rahman was awarded Japan’s Fukuoka prize for 2016. Rahman was the 1995 recipient of the Mauritius National Award and the Malaysian Award for his contributions to music as well.
Zakir Hussain- Grammy Award
Zakir Hussain is not just a world-renowned tabla player. He is also a music producer, film actor and composer.
Zakir, son of acclaimed tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha, won two Grammys, one in 1992 and the other in 2009 for Contemporary World Music Album ‘Global Drum Project’ on which he worked alongside Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo.
Resul Pookutty – Oscar
Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer who won the Academy Award for best sound mixing for Slumdog Millionaire. He also did the country proud by becoming the first Asian to win the award for best sound for the documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ at the coveted Motion Picture Sound Editors’ 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards in February this year.
Babbu Mann- World Music Awards
Babbu Mann is a renowned Punjabi singer who has been decorated with World Music Awards, including like Best Indian Male Artist Award, Best Indian Live Act, Best Indian Entertainer and Best Indian Album Award at the 2014 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. The Punjabi singer beat musical veteran AR Rahman and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh in these categories.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt- Grammy Award
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is an instrumentalist from Jaipur known for playing the Mohan Veena(slide guitar). Recognised for his fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with many western artists, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is proudly featured on the list of Indian winners of the coveted Grammy Award. He won it in 1993 for his album ‘A Meeting by the River’ with Ry Cooder.
Ricky Kej- Grammy Award
Ricky is a Bengaluru-based composer, music producer and musician. He won the Grammy in 2015 for his album ‘Winds of Samsara’ – a collaboration with South African flutist Wouter Kellerman.
The website of the album describes the project as a “truly global effort”, which draws inspiration from two cultures. The music of the album blends in the creative influences of the cultures to generate a sound of calmness and positivity.
T H Vinayakram (also known as Vikku Vinayak)- Grammy Award
Vikku Vinayak plays Carnatic music with the ghatam, an earthen pot, and is credited with popularising the ghatam.
He won a Grammy in 1991 for the Best World Music Album for his participation in Mickey Hart’s ‘Planet Drum’.
(Late) H Sridhar- Grammy Award
H Sridhar was a sound engineer and won a Grammy for his work with A R Rahman in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
Sridhar also engineered and mixed albums for international artists like George Harrison of The Beatles, John Neptune Kaizan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, L.Shankar and John McLaughlin.
