Shankar Mahadevan is a fabulous singer and 1/3rd of a terrific trio is what we all know.

But did you know that he is also part of a fabulous 30 year old band called Shakti that boasts the likes of Zakir Hussain and famed guitarist John McLKaughlin?.....well it was thanks to this association that Shankar Mahadevan received for his birthday a most perfect gift this year!

His friend and lead guitarist John McLaughlin gifted him a song called 'The voice' and flew to Mumbai to be with him on the special day!

"I knew his birthday was approaching and thought of the song. I write for people I admire and love and Shankar is one of them. To me Shankar is the voice. I was talking to Zakir Hussain about my desire to get a vocalist for Shakti. He suggested Shankar who sent me a CD and three minutes after listening to it, I called him. " smiles John.

The duo have been a part of the fusion group for a long time and performed more than 150 shows all over the world.

For Shankar it's one of the biggest honors. "He flew down especially for my birthday. There are certain people, the minute you meet them, you know they are great and John is one of them," he says.

Well, that was a great birthday for a great singer!