‘Sounds of Kumbha’ nominated for Grammy in Best Global Music Album category

New Delhi: ‘Sounds of Kumbha’, a spiritual album inspired by the Mahakumbha festival and presented by singer-composer Siddhant Bhatia, has been nominated for the 68th Grammy Awards in the ‘Best Global Music Album’ category.

The nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards were announced last week.

Commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh government as a cultural initiative, the album has been produced in partnership with ‘Network18’ and ‘HistoryTV18’ and is globally distributed by ‘Universal Music India’.

The 12-track project, featuring over 50 artists from India and abroad, aims to capture the spirit of the Mahakumbha, the mega religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj that drew over 60 crore pilgrims during its 45-day run in January and February this year.

Described by critics as a ‘sonic memoir’ of the Mahakumbha, the album blends live field recordings from Prayagraj, ancient mantras and contemporary compositions by Bhatia and SoulTrax Studios in New Delhi, a press release said. It also incorporates binaural beats designed to create an immersive, meditative experience for listeners.

Seven producers - Bhatia, Jim ‘Kimo’ West, Raghav Mehta, Madi Das, Ron Korb, Charu Suri and Devraj Sanyal - collaborated on the project.

The album features contributions from Grammy winners and nominees such as V Selvaganesh and Raja Kumari, as well as Indian musicians Aditya Gadhvi, Kanika Kapoor, Kala Ramnath, Bhanumathi Narasimhan, Pravin Godkhindi, Ajay Prasanna, Kalyani Nair, The Indian Choral Ensemble, Siroyi, Aarti Khetarpal, Tanya Saxena and Sushant Pujari.

Two-time Grammy winner P A Deepak handled mixing and mastering.

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.