Roll of Honour

Das,40,whose album Off the Map (World Village) is a collaborative project with the Silk Road Ensemble,has been nominated for the second time,this time in the Classical Crossover music category . “It is really a win-win situation for us. I am hopeful,but even if we do not make the cut,the nomination itself is a huge honour. I have spent the last 10 years collaborating with foreign artistes and have learned a lot while doing group music,” says Das,who was nominated in 2004 for his album The Rain. Among the others nominated in this category are Bobby McFerrin,John Mclaughlin and Lucas Richman.

Even as Das keeps his fingers crossed,New York-based Tandon,60,is surprised and overwhelmed at the nomination for her album Om Namo Narayana: Soul Call (Soul Chants Music). She has been nominated in the Best World Music Album category. “This is my second album. The artistes who have been nominated in the various categories are the ones I have admired and revered but I was not expecting a Grammy after a second album,” laughs Tandon. The eight-track album has a chant Om Namo Narayana that she has rendered in eight different ragas. Tandon,incidentally,is Pepsico Chairperson Indira Nooyi’s sister. Originally from Chennai,she heads a financial advisory firm in New York and juggles her time between music and work. The music for the album has been arranged by Kolkata-based musician Tejendra Majumdar.

Jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyar,39,too,has bagged a nomination for the first time,for Histrocity,a piano album in which he has collaborated with his long time drummer friend Marcus Gilmore and bassist Stephan Crump. “We recorded in one day. My music is spontaneous but still very structured and composed,” says Iyer. A series of newspapers,from New York Times and Los Angeles Times to the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit Metro Times voted this as the best jazz album of 2010. Pitted against him are other jazz artistes like John Beasley,Clayton Brothers,Danilo Parez and the legendary James Moody.

“I’m honoured to make it to this level,that’s a victory already. It would be nice to win,but I also hope that this isn’t my only big achievement in life. It is also humbling that a legendary artiste like James Moody is mentioned in the same breath as someone like me. It affirms the continuity of the music across generations,” says Iyer,whose parents moved to the US in 1960s.

He grew up learning western classical piano. “The piano was present in the house. I picked it up mostly by ear and figured out things gradually,” says Iyer. He has already collaborated with artistes like Talvin Singh,Shujaat Khan,Suphala and Sameer Chatterjee.