The announcement of Mahadevan’s honorary doctorate was made by Andy Avenue, Mayor of the West Midlands, throughout a commerce mission occasion in Mumbai final November.
By:
Mohnish Singh
The globally acclaimed singer, composer and actor Shankar Mahadevan has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Birmingham Metropolis College (BCU) in recognition of his excellent companies to music and the humanities.
Mahadevan, who has been described as one of many best ever Bollywood vocalists, was given the award at a particular ceremony held on the College’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) on Saturday (24 June).
A member of the internationally famend Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy songwriting trio, he has composed music for scores of Bollywood movies, in addition to establishing the Shankar Mahadevan Academy, which supplies academic alternatives for aspiring musicians. His most well-known album, ‘Breathless’, launched in 1998, topped the charts in India for over 10 weeks, and he has 18 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify.
Mahadevan was welcomed to the ceremony with performances from Dhol drummers and a pupil ensemble led by Dr Radhika Balakrishnan, a Carnatic classical vocalist and BCU’s first-ever Indian Council for Cultural Relations Chair in Indian Research.
He was then offered with a bespoke medal made by college students on the College’s famend College of Jewelry.
Receiving the honorary doctorate, Shankar Mahadevan mentioned: “This can be a second I’ll cherish – and I wish to thank Birmingham Metropolis College for making this occur.”
“It’s like a dream for me. Having my household within the viewers, that is actually particular. I’d wish to take this chance to thank all these gurus from whom I’ve discovered a lot.”
Mahadevan was joined on stage by Ustad Zakir Hussain, Indian tabla participant, composer and percussionist, and John McLaughlin, legendary guitarist and a pioneer of jazz fusion.
Professor Philip Plowden, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham Metropolis College, mentioned: “Shankar shouldn’t be solely an distinctive artist throughout many genres, a Bollywood legend, and a beloved TV star – however he’s additionally an academic innovator who believes in making the very best tuition accessible to proficient aspiring musicians. It was unbelievable to be joined on the occasion not solely by Shankar’s household, however by his brother musicians, Maestro Zakir and Maestro John.
“We’re honoured to have the chance to formally convey Shankar into our College group.”
Anita Bhalla OBE, Chair of the Board of Governors at BCU and a previous BBC govt and broadcaster, mentioned: “We’re delighted to recognise Shankar’s distinguished musical profession and his excellent contribution to the event of up-and-coming expertise.
“This occasion symbolises so many themes which are vital to our College. It’s about creativity, collaboration, partnerships and being future dealing with, welcoming individuals from the area, the broader UK and in addition from internationally.”
After the formal ceremony, Mahadevan took half in a question-and-answer session with Shyam Nabar, Director on the West Midlands India Partnership, the place he spoke about his youth, musical influences and Bollywood profession.
An achieved engineer-turned-musician, Shankar Mahadevan’s melodic singing and compositions have captivated audiences in India and around the globe.
Over the subsequent few years, he’ll lead a number of collaborative tasks on the College’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and STEAMhouse, a serious £70 million innovation centre based mostly at its metropolis centre campus.
The announcement of Mahadevan’s honorary doctorate was made by Andy Avenue, Mayor of the West Midlands, throughout a commerce mission occasion in Mumbai final November.
