Shakti at 50 | Shankar Mahadevan: 'Shakti is a band that is going to live forever'

Berklee Indian Ensemble earned their first-ever Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album, for their collab-heavy, 2022 album Shuruaat and this extended a nomination to you, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shreya Ghoshal, Vijay Prakash, among others. Tell us about it.

I am extremely happy with the Grammy nomination. It is really a very happy moment for those children who are a part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble. They work hard and spend so much time on music. They have so much depth and Indian musicality, they understand Indian music, western music and they are always full of energy and enthusiasm to collaborate and to innovate. And also, even if a song has been previously recorded, they give their own interpretation and give it a new colour. So, I am very happy for them, and I feel it is truly deserving. Whether they win the Grammy or not it does not matter, their participation and their nomination is much more important. I would like to congratulate the entire team, especially Rohith Jayaraman and Annette Philip. These two musicians spearhead the project, and I would love to congratulate all the kids from the Berklee College of Music and the Indian ensemble especially for doing so beautifully.

Shankar Mahadevan jamming with Berklee Indian Ensemble, with Annette Philip on the piano. (Photo courtesy Annette Philip)

The iconic band Shakti comprising you, John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, V Selvaganesh. Ganesh Rajagopalan is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a world tour. You have been a part of this legendary group for 23 years…
Shakti was a band which was a part of my music learning process in my life. When I was in college and school I used to listen to their cassettes; especially their studio album Natural Elements and many others and I literally learned from those cassettes. And in those days, I had a huge wish in my life to just meet the legendary Shakti band and to take a picture with them because they revolutionised the concept of world music with so much energy and precision and musicality. And as luck would have it and by God’s grace, I was sitting with them on stage sitting with Ustad Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin ji and performing. What more can a musician ask for in his lifetime and career? And now it’s been 23 years that I am part of this legendary band Shakti and I’m also a part of the 50-year celebration of this legendary group all thanks to John ji and Ustad Zakir Hussain ji for their immense contribution to Shakti and to their contribution to music. They are my guru and my mentor, and they are my inspiration. V Selvaganesh and Ganesh Rajagopalan are incredible musicians.

Selva is my brother. I don't think I know of any other percussionist who has that calibre, that level and we do miss my brother U Srinivas because his godly contribution to this group cannot be described in words, and I really miss him now that we are celebrating 50 years.

The band Shakti, which completed 50 years in 2023. (Photo courtesy Shankar Mahadevan)

How did the band come together?

Shakti was initially conceptualised and put together by maestros Ustad Zakir Hussain, John ji, Vikku Vinayakram and L Shankar, and that was the initial Shakti. Then we came in as the second edition of Shakti when we regrouped again and that time there was V Selvaganesh, U Srinivas and I. That was an incredible band. We lost Srinivas and we did not know what to do and we became completely helpless musically. Then, luckily, like a Godsend angel, came Ganesh Rajagopalan and we started touring. Shakti is a band that is going to live forever!

Shankar Mahadevan performing with the Berklee Indian Ensemble. (Photo courtesy Annette Philip)

Berklee rearranged and paid a tribute... tell us about it.

With a young group of music enthusiasts which formed the Indian Ensemble of Berkeley, we have this amazing concept of taking compositions which they love, they take it and then rearrange it and re-interpret it harmonically, rhythmically and melodically and add their own contribution and present it in a beautiful way. I have worked with them on various songs, and I have a live concert with them singing many of my songs which they have rearranged. One of the recorded pieces is my song Dil Chahta Hai which I had done with Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. The Berklee Indian Ensemble rearranged it in an amazing way, added musical parts to it, and rhythmically, melodically it is just out of this world. And of course, you can see my live recordings of my Tamil songs and 5 Peace Band which is a Shakti piece that I did. They are just so enthusiastic, and they take pieces of music that they like, and they rearrange it.

Your sons Siddharth and Shivam are into composing music and singing. As a father what do you have to say?

Both my sons are truly a blessing and both sing. Siddharth has been composing since the age of 16 and has composed more than eight-10 Marathi films, done various projects for OTT platforms like the recent Madhuri Dixit film Maja Ma. He has also done a lot of television ads for ajio, Reliance, and Tata Sky. He has also got popular hits like Zinda from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and Nachde Ne Saare (from Baar Baar Dekho, 2016). My younger son Shivam has sung in Bandish Bandits, Dhoom 3 and many others. What more can a father ask for than have both the sons singing along with him on stage. That is the greatest feeling for an artist.

Shankar Mahadevan (centre) with his sons Siddharth Mahadevan (left) and Shivam Mahadevan.

Tell us about your forthcoming projects…

A lot is happening musically. I’m doing a film with Ehsaan and Loy, Meghna Gulzar’s next called Sam Bahadur which is based on the life of India's first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Then we are doing Zoya Akhtar’s next film The Archies, then we are doing a film with Rajshri Productions which is directed by Avnish Barjatya, Sooraj Barjatya's son. Then we are doing a Marathi film called Maan Apmaan, which is a legendary Marathi play that has been adapted into celluloid. Apart from this, there are a lot of concerts, then there is the touring with Shakti. My academy is going places and we are teaching music online in over 88 countries. So yeah, I have got my hands full!