5 Indians Who Brought Grammy Home

Ustad Zakir Hussain (2 Grammys)

Known to all, Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla virtuoso and he is the eldest son of the legendary tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha. Following his father’s footsteps from the very beginning, Hussain had a successful career, which earned him the prestigious Grammy title twice, i.e. Best World Music Album – Planet Drum in 1992 and Best Contemporary World Music Album – Global Drum Project in 2009.

It was Hussain’s style in making music that was phenomenal, as he includes sounds generated from the technological advancements. Clubbing the state-of-the-art digital sounds, the tracks created remain fresh and relevant even in the modern era. For his outstanding contribution to Indian music, in 1988 he was awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan in 2002 by the Government of India.

A.R. Rahman (2 Grammys)

Popularly known as the ‘Mozart of Madras’, A.R. Rahman is a global musician who needs no introduction. His exceptional work in the film industry has made him legendary. Rahman is a musical maestro who is known for mixing Indian classical music with electronic music, world music and traditional orchestral arrangements. He was recognized globally for his brilliant work and felicitating that in 2009, Rahman was included in the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people.

For his splendid effort for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won two Grammy Awards i.e. Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media. The track ‘Jai Ho’ was an instant hit and it also won him the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 81^st Academy Awards. The musical whiz’s next adventure is in directing a movie as the shoot is almost completed.