In a landmark achievement for Indian music, the celebrated band Shakti, featuring the legendary tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, percussionist V Selvaganesh, and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, clinched the Best Global Music Album award for their latest work, “This Moment,” at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Shortly after the ceremony, musical icon AR Rahman, who was in attendance, shared a moment of pride on social media, posting a selfie with Shakti’s acclaimed members – Mahadevan, Hussain, and Selvaganesh.T op Grammy Award winners of 2024 Rahman’s post, filled with joy, praised their remarkable success: “It’s raining Grammys for India…Congrats Grammy winners #ustadzakirhussain (3 Grammys) @shankar.mahadevan (first Grammy) @selvaganesh,” capturing the celebratory spirit of the moment. In an additional feather in their cap, Zakir Hussain, along with flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, also received the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance for their collaborative piece, “Pashto.” This composition further earned accolades as Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, highlighting the diverse talents within the Indian music scene. Miley Cyrus wins record of the year at Grammys Ricky Kej, an Indian music composer and Grammy laureate himself, extended his congratulations via a heartfelt video of Shakti's acceptance speech, emphasizing the brilliance of these musicians and their contribution to India's global recognition in music. Kej’s enthusiastic post on X celebrated the band’s victory: “SHAKTI wins a Grammy!!! Through this album 4 brilliant Indian musicians won Grammys!! Just amazing. India is shining in every direction…” This year’s Grammy success for Shakti and its members adds to a growing list of international accolades for Indian artists, including AR Rahman’s dual Grammy wins in 2010 for his work on “Slumdog Millionaire”. Taylor Swift wins Grammy album of the year for the 4th time

Bangladeshi singer-songwriter Armeen Musa and her mother and eminent Nazrul exponent Dr Nashid Kamal have been nominated for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Global Music Album on Wednesday. The mother-daughter duo's song "Jaago Piya," which was featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's debut album "Shuruaat," enabled them as the first Bangladeshis to be nominated for the world's most famous musical awards. Read more: 15 receive Aga Khan Music Awards 2022 Confirming the news to UNB on Tuesday night, Armeen Musa said she is overwhelmed by this achievement. “Still in disbelief,” she said although the official website of Grammy also confirmed the nomination on Wednesday. The first in a series of original compositions from the Berklee Indian Ensemble, "Jaago Piya" was originally written and voiced by Armeen Musa, while Dr Nashid Kamal penned the Bengali version of the lyrics. Legendary Asian musicians including Ustaad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal, to name a few, are also featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's (BIE) debut album ‘Shuruaat’, alongside Armeen Musa. Read more: List of Grammy winners in top categories One of the most popular music artists in present Bangladesh and the first-ever the first Bangladeshi student in the Berklee Indian Ensemble and a Visva-Bharati trainee in Indian Classical music, Armeen Musa garnered critical acclaim for songs including “Bhromor Koiyo Giya,” “Lona Deyal” and more. She is the founder of the music troop ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’.  

Nanci Griffith, the Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter from Texas whose literary songs like “Love at the Five and Dime” celebrated the South, has died. She was 68. Her management company, Gold Mountain Entertainment, said Griffith died Friday but did not provide a cause of death. “It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing,” Gold Mountain Entertainment said in a statement. READ: Grammys overhaul process for picking nominees for top awards Griffith worked closely with other folk singers, helping the early careers of artists like Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris. She had a high-pitched voice, and her singing was effortlessly smooth with a twangy Texas accent as she sang about Dust Bowl farmers and empty Woolworth general stores. Griffith was also known for her recording of “From a Distance,” which would later become a well-known Bette Midler tune. The song appeared on Griffith’s first major label release, “Lone Star State of Mind” in 1987. Her 1993 album “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” earned a Grammy for best contemporary folk album. Named after a Truman Capote novel, the album features Griffith singing with Harris, John Prine, Arlo Guthrie and Guy Clark on classic folk songs. In 2008, Griffith won the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association. Country singer Suzy Bogguss, who had a Top 10 hit with Griffith’s song “Outbound Plane,” posted a remembrance to her friend on Instagram. “I feel blessed to have many memories of our times together along with most everything she ever recorded. I’m going to spend the day reveling in the articulate masterful legacy she’s left us,” Bogguss wrote. Darius Rucker called Griffith one of his idols and why he moved to Nashville. “Singing with her was my favorite things to do,” he wrote on Twitter. Keeping in line with the tradition of folk music, Griffith often wrote social commentary into her songs, such as the anti-racist ode “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go,” and the economic impact on rural farmers in the 1980s on “Trouble in the Fields.” READ: Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk break up after 28 years “I wrote it because my family were farmers in West Texas during the Great Depression,” Griffith told the Los Angeles Times in a 1990 interview. “It was written basically as a show of support for my generation of farmers.” Griffith gained many fans in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where she would often tour.

Grammy-winning electronic music pioneers Daft Punk have announced that they are breaking up after 28 years.

Drama over fairness and inclusion at the Grammy Awards carried over to music's big night Sunday as newcomers and mainstays in the industry supported Sean "Diddy" Combs and his powerful speech putting the Recording Academy on a clock to fix the nomination process when it comes to rap and R&B in major categories.

Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan, who the company announced Thursday was placed on administrative leave, has fired back in a statement through her lawyer, saying: "What has been reported is not nearly the story that needs to be told."

Dr. Dre, who has produced hits for Eminem, Tupac, Snoop Dogg and more, will be honored by the Recording Academy for his trailblazing production work.