Thanking the “greats” for opening doors, Selvagnesh

Since its founding in the 1970s, the fusion band Shakti—which received a Grammy for its most recent record this past month—has reportedly influenced a number of upcoming performers, according to percussionist V Selvaganesh. The 57-year-old musician attributes the formation of India’s first fusion band, Shakti, to its original members: violinist L Shankar, percussionists Zakir Hussain and TH “Vikku” Vinayakram, and guitarist John McLaughlin.

“L Shankar ji, John ji, Zakir bhai, and my father (Vinayakram) are the artists who laid the foundation for contemporary fusion music. Pandit Ravi Shankar ji has, of course, previously worked with Western musicians, but Shakti as a band opens doors for all Indian fusion bands. In an interview, Selvaganesh said, “If you look at it from that point on, the kids who formed a group, this band is the inspiration for them.”

The drummer, who also plays the ghatam and kanjira, was a member of the winning team that included violinists Ganesh Rajagopalan, McLaughlin, and Hussain. In order to explain his role in the creation of “This Moment,” which just took home the Grammy for best worldwide music album, he told a legendary tale. Since its founding in 1973, Shakti has seen a number of modifications as new members have joined.

“I take after them because they simply give music their all and never look for anything in return. They just function. And it was regarded as the greatest worldwide music record after this band’s 50-year career. Thus, it belongs to the founders; it is their treasure. All of us are only extras,” he said. The Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts will host the musician’s “Ghatam Symphony” performance.