Tesher is transcending boundaries with his music

Global IndianstoryYoung Shahrukh to Jalebi Baby: How Indo-Canadian musician Tesher is transcending boundaries with his mashups

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Young Shahrukh to Jalebi Baby: How Indo-Canadian musician Tesher is transcending boundaries with his mashups

Written by: Global Indian

Who could possibly think of Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Panther and Captain Marvel fighting Thanos in Avengers Endgame to the tune of Diljit Dosanjh‘s Panga song? Only, Indo-Canadian musician Tesher, who is known for his quirky mashups. It’s this idiosyncrasy that has made Tesher a global name. The 28-year-old is making waves in the international music circuit with his singles and remixes, so much so, that global artists are now queuing up to collaborate with this Punjabi boy.

Tesher’s remixes are nothing short of international music for a global party that everyone is invited to. With each song, he breaks the mould by repurposing numbers and combining them with witty lyricism. But what makes Tesher a celebrated name is his love for Indian music that he beautifully fuses with international hip-hop to create a perfect blend.

Nonetheless, it’s been a long journey for Tesher who started making music as early as 11 and had to wait for many years to get recognition. Here’s the story of this Global Indian who is making music that transcends boundaries.

Tesher has become a global star

From DJ’ing to a YouTube star

Born as Hitesh Kumar in a Punjabi family in Canada, Tesher was raised in Saskatchewan. His Punjabi heritage and upbringing had a deep influence on him in his early years as he always found Bollywood, bhangra music and Western hip-hop playing at his home. It was when his interest in music started to grow, and by the age of 6, he began to fuse Bollywood and hip-hop songs to create mashups. He soon started tagging along with his father, who was a videographer by profession, to South Asian weddings and functions. At one such wedding, the clients inquired about the DJ services from his father to which he replied that his son likes computers and music. At 15, Tesher’s journey as a DJ began.

For someone who just started with mixing Bollywood and hip-hop, Tesher found a perfect balance between his South Asian roots and the Western world. Soon he began experimenting with R&B, house, salsa music and pop as an extension of his personality.

In a conversation with Urban Asian, he said,

“My music reflects who I am, and who I am is a Canadian-born Indian who’s managed to balance the Western culture I grew up in with my South Asian heritage. I am the blend of two cultures, and so is my music. If I didn’t incorporate sounds and influences from both sides of the world, it wouldn’t be me.”

What began as a hobby for this self-taught musician would soon turn him into an international music artist. But Tesher was yet to discover this. Oblivious to what fate had in store for him, Tesher began studying the music landscape on MTV, radio to see where he could fit in his talent. That’s when YouTube came to his rescue.

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He started putting his mashups on the internet that was sort of his preparatory ground for what was about to happen. From country remixes to Bollywood and bhangra mashups, every composition of Tesher made its way to the YouTube. One such mashup caught the fancy of Sony Music India who asked the composer for an official Bhangra remix of Kar Gayi Chull from the 2016 film Kapoor and Sons. A year later, Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt performed on his remix at Miss India 2017, and Tesher was blown away by the fact that his music was making it big in India. “It was definitely cool but interesting; I was an average guy living in Canada, making music on the side, but on the other side of the world, a superstar Bollywood actress is dancing to my music, It’s honestly two worlds – it’s so surreal,” he told Strand Magazine.

The viral song that changed it all

Known to have an ear for groundbreaking mashups, Tesher cooked up a storm by bringing together the least expected combinations of AR Rahman and Travis Scott or Govinda and Drake. But this very uncanny taste in music got Tesher the fame and recognition when his 2019 remix Old Town Road vs Ramta Jogi went viral on TikTok, leading his audience to discover his earlier discography. The song put Tesher on the global map with all its quirks.

“That experience taught me to put more faith in the audience. I almost didn’t put that mix out to begin with because I thought it wasn’t good. Now it has become a reason why so many people have discovered me and my music,” Tesher added.

A global star

A year later, Tesher was armed with yet another chartbuster up his sleeve when he launched Young Shahrukh. An original rap song performed to the beats of one of Bollywood’s popular songs Bole Chudiya, the single erupted on the music scene with a bang. Such was the craze around the song that Sony Music India picked the single, thus giving Tesher’s debut the perfect launchpad. The single claimed the Number 1 spot on BBC Radio Official Asian Music Chart in the UK and reached Number 4 on Billboard’s Top Thriller Global Chart. Even Bollywood’s bigshots like Ranveer Singh praised the phenomenal fusion.

Tesher found the pulse of his audience, but the singer-composer knew he wanted to blow their minds with his next song, and that’s exactly what he did when he came up with Jalebi Baby, his second single in 2020. The song which amassed over 100 million streams also topped the Shazam charts in over 25 countries. The success of the song across the globe prompted Tesher to take it mainstream, and that’s when American singer Jason Derulo came on board for the remix of Jalebi Baby. With bhangra beats and jalebi, Tesher was keen to keep the song unapologetically Indian.

“From day one, my biggest goal was always to bring South Asian sounds into the mainstream in a way that could push our culture forward and spotlight us authentically, free from stereotypes and overused tropes. Something that celebrated us and that we all could be proud of,” he added.

Having tasted the success and recognition, Tesher is now gearing up to make more original music and even work with Bollywood in the future.

From playing music as a DJ at weddings to putting his videos on YouTube to getting international recognition, Tesher has come a long way in the last decade. The Indo-Canadian musician is a perfect example that music transcends boundaries and the world is always waiting for good tunes and interesting mashups.

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Published on 21, Aug 2021

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Operatic Oz-mosis: Indian-origin tenor Shanul Sharma’s aria mesmerises the world

(April 19, 2022) On the sets of Carmen at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Shanul Sharma gave his first audition for an opera. For someone with a decade-long experience in heavy metal and rock n roll, it was unusual to see him take the centre stage. But everything stopped the moment he stepped on stage. “I loved the spectacle. In no time, I forgot everything and sang like there was no tomorrow. That was a turning point for me,” Shanul says in an interview with Global Indian. In years to follow, he performed across Australia, Europe, and Russia, becoming one of the few Indian-origin tenor soloists to achieve the feat. Yet Bolshoi (Russia) holds pride of place. The winner of the 2017 Canto Lirico discipline and the Rossini International Award, Shanul is the first Indian-born Australian to perform as a principal artist in an Australian opera. [caption id="attachment_23456" align="aligncenter" width="506"] Shanul Sharma[/caption] A musical ear Born in Jabalpur to a civil engineer father and a homemaker mother, a young Shanul grew up listening to Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar in the backseat of the family Fiat. “My dad had a huge influence on me. He loved music but he never had

"606" /> Shanul Sharma[/caption]

A musical ear

Born in Jabalpur to a civil engineer father and a homemaker mother, a young Shanul grew up listening to Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar in the backseat of the family Fiat. “My dad had a huge influence on me. He loved music but he never had the outlet. I had a musical ear, and learnt everything by just listening. So when he saw my gift, he encouraged me to follow my passion,” says Shanul whose teenage years were dedicated to Michael Jackson. “I idolised him not only for his songs but also loved him as a performer. He was a complete package. I imitated him, and would try to sing as high as I could,” says the tenor for whom music was a way of expression. Slowly, he started taking baby steps into heavy metal and ended up performing at school events. “I was bullied a lot in school due to my high pitch - music became a way to feel normal. The more I sang, the more I was seen and appreciated. It gave me a sense of positive reinforcement,” adds Shanul who started composing music in school.

The Oz experience

It was in 2002 that he bought a one-way ticket to Australia to study IT engineering at Charles Strut University’s Wagga Wagga campus. Outside his class, he was the lead singer of the rock band Sobrusion and performed at various pubs and clubs. “I always wanted to be a singer, and we used to make Metallica covers,” says Shanul who found his biggest support in his dad, adding, “He used to say ‘IT engineers toh bante rahenge, singer bann (Can always become an IT engineer, become a singer first).’” For almost a decade, he played with the band, and transitioned from heavy metal to rock n roll.

India-origin tenor | Shanul Sharma

Everything changed when he came across the song Nessun Dorma by Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti on YouTube and immediately fell in love with opera. “Those two-and-half minutes was nothing but unadulterated vocal music. I had never heard something like this. That was the power of his singing. That’s when I knew I wanted to sing like that,” reveals the tenor who started training in western classical music after his band broke up in 2013. “Since I had a high pitch, I started training with an Italian teacher. It was a seamless transition vocally,” adds the 30-something who calls himself “restless” and loves to experiment. But he had to learn the “stagecraft” as working in opera was very different from heavy metal. “In metal, you write your music but opera is more traditional. You are working with an ensemble of 60-70 musicians. Here you have to fit into the grand scheme of things and make everything believable,” explains Shanul who believes his experience with rock n roll helped him bring something unique to the table.

The next year, he made his debut audition at the Arts Centre Melbourne on the sets of Carmen after an artist pulled out last minute. “I was hesitant initially thinking I wasn’t fully prepared. But then I pulled myself up and went for it. Something took over me onstage, and I forgot everything else,” smiles Sharma who got the role, and took only two days to prepare. “Lyndon Terracini, the artistic director of Opera Australia, was impressed and in two days, I was already on the road performing. I enjoyed every bit of it,” adds the young artist.

Indian-origin tenor | Shanul Sharma

Making moves internationally

A year later, he made his operatic debut with Opera Australia as Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola for the Victorian School’s Tour. In 2015, he was accepted into the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff, one of the most prestigious singing academies in the world for his MA in advanced vocal studies. “I raised 53,000 AUD through crowdfunding for the course,” reveals the Indian-origin tenor who soon appeared as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale for Teatro Martinetti in Italy.

Being an Indian and performing opera in a myriad languages, Shanul had to “look, speak and feel” the part. “Whenever I am performing anywhere, the first thing I do is visit their art museum. It gives me an insight into what they find valuable. It helps me gain a sense of expression,” says the tenor. Having performed across Europe, it’s his performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia in 2019 that he holds closest to his heart. “It’s not just the biggest theatre physically but also acoustically interesting. The sounds are beautiful and at the same time loud,” explains Shanul.

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Shanul found his greatest support system in his parents, both of whom are no more. “My dad never watched any of my performances as he died in 2012. But my mom did watch me perform in Melbourne in 2019, and it was a beautiful moment. During the live performance, I saw my mom waving at me enthusiastically. I tried hard to not get distracted,” laughs Shanul.

The past two years have been trying times for the artiste. “During the lockdown, 15 of my productions were cancelled. We are slowly getting back. However, a lot is still uncertain,” says Shanul who is hopeful of things getting better in 2023. “I am preparing for a handful of productions,” says the tenor who loves watching Bollywood films like Dangal, “I can relate to the life of a sportsperson because it is a lot like that of an artiste,” concludes Shanul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjLzIR5e2Y0

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From Singapore to the world: Carnatic singer Sushma Soma’s ragas ring out loud

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" /> Sushma with her gramdmother[/caption]

Her recently released second album, Home, incorporates environmental issues and raises awareness about sustainability through her music. Sushma created the album along with Aditya Prakash. “Home combines my Carnatic sensibilities, and my passion for the natural world. The starting point was a series of incidents that left me feeling gutted; from the pregnant elephant in India who tragically died when she fed on a pineapple stuffed with explosives, to the loss of indigenous plants and wildlife in the Amazon forest fires. This album is special as it stems from so many things I care about - forests and wildlife,” shares the Carnatic singer, who has won several awards in her career, including the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council Singapore, 2020.

Her archival work with the National Archives of Singapore was also given a special mention at the Singapore Parliament in March 2019.

The Land of Lion

A Tamilian from Chennai, Sushma was hardly 41 days old, when her parents shifted to Singapore (1980s). Growing up, she felt like a minority in Singapore. “Back in the day, Indian expats were not a common sight in Singapore. I grew up around kids who would talk in Chinese or English. While I knew the language, I was deeply connected to Tamil, which we spoke at home. That’s why I loved visiting my cousins in Chennai on vacation,” shares the Carnatic singer.

At four, Sushma started learning the basics of Carnatic music from a teacher who lived right across the street. Being around her teacher, Sushma shares, made her fall in love with music. “She used to perform at temples and would take me along. So, I have been performing on stage since four. During many events, my parents would come back stage to take me home. But I would stay back, because I just loved being around my teacher,” Sushma reminisces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caa9qcrddXE

A diploma in Carnatic vocals at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFA) in 1993, although she loved to perform, she continued to pursue a traditional career. A mathematics lover, she was obsessed with books growing up. The artiste attained a degree in accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, and a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms. However, it was not long before she realised that her heart was not in her work and she felt a “growing obsession” for music.

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When she said as much to her father, a chartered accountant, he was shocked. “He freaked out that his daughter was leaving a set career for music. However, he never stopped supporting me,” says the Carnatic singer.

A musical journey...

Not long after leaving her job Sushma shifted to Chennai in 2009, where she lived with her uncle and grandmother. She started training under well-known artiste Lalita Sivakumar, an experience she defines as “a blessing.” Over the course of the next decade, back in Singapore, Sushma performed solo and in collaborations across the world - London, Luxembourg, Brussels, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore just to name a few.

[caption id="attachment_23468" align="aligncenter" width="5081"] Sushma during 2017 Wandering Artist concert[/caption]

"I constantly find myself seeking that one moment during my performances, where it is just me and my music. These moments are fleeting, and rare, but I keep chasing them. For the past five years, I have been trying to express my emotions through music, and that is very liberating and empowering,” shares Sushma, who is currently student of RK Shriram Kumar, a leading Carnatic musician and musicologist.

Actively engaged in the arts as a researcher, educator and writer, Sushma shares that she always reads up about the theme of her songs. “I think that is something that my husband instilled in me - to research about anything before making a song about it,” she laughs sharing, “My husband, Srinivas, is one of the first I share my songs with, and only when he likes it, I finalise it.” Sushma’s husband is an IT professional, working in Singapore.

[caption id="attachment_23465" align="aligncenter" width="638"] Sushma with her co-creator and best friend, Aditya Prakash[/caption]

Busy with rehearsals and events, Sushma shares that she enjoys long walks which are “like meditation. But, of late I have started listening to podcasts on human behaviour to understand our psychology,” shares the Carnatic singer, who loves to bake.

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Jay Sean: The British-Indian artiste completes 20 years in hip-hop music world

(April 16, 2024) Who can forget the peppy song Dance With You from the early 2000s? Then a 22-year-old, Jay Sean was among the few South Asian artistes who exploded on the music scene with a chartbuster that was set to change the course of his life. The song made the British-Indian artiste an overnight star, and as they say, the rest is history. Despite the changing time, he has kept himself relevant and the proof of it is that this year he completes 20 years in the music industry. "To be able to have 20 years in the music industry and have songs that have stuck as classics now, to me is always a blessing. The challenge is really just understanding how to evolve," he said in an interview. [caption id="attachment_50752" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Jay Sean[/caption] In the last two decades, the poster boy of the UK's Asian underground music scene has truly put Indian music and hip-hop on the global map. He was among the first few Indian artistes who opened the doors of South Asian music to the world, and is continuing to bring joy to music lovers across the world with his work. His latest song Heartless,

map. He was among the first few Indian artistes who opened the doors of South Asian music to the world, and is continuing to bring joy to music lovers across the world with his work.

His latest song Heartless, which was released a week ago, has already grabbed the attention of music lovers, and he knows his music works because he is being true to himself. "I understand what I have to offer to the industry, that if I write and deliver a song, it will always be a Jay Sean song. Regardless of how the production is changing, or even the melodies of the times are changing, it will still have my signature stamp on it," he added.

Growing up with music

Born as Kamaljit Singh Jhooti in London to Indian immigrant parents in a Punjabi Sikh family, Jay was raised in the Asian community of South Hall. From a young age, he was drawn to music, leading him to form a hip-hop band Compulsive Disorder with his cousin at the age of 11. A young Jay attended Latymer Upper School in the morning and wrote songs in the evening. "I remember watching Yo! MTV Raps from a young age. And that put me into writing because I just wanted to write raps. I used to go and find instrumentals when I was around 13, and I would write my own rhymes and record my own mixtapes. Me and my crew were making mixtapes, writing original lyrics over other people's beats, and that's what really got me into writing," he had said.

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But for his parents, music wasn't a traditional occupation and they encouraged him to focus on his studies. Someone who excelled in academics, he won himself a scholarship at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry to train as a doctor only to drop out in 2003 to pursue a career in singing. To kick start his career in music, he chose Jay Sean as his stage name. "Jay comes from my last name Jhooti and my grandmother used to call me ‘Shaan’ which is where Sean comes from," he revealed.

The poster boy of the UK's Asian underground scene

Life took a beautiful turn when one of his tracks One Minute fell into the hands of producer Rishi Rich, thus giving birth to the Rishi Rich project in 2003 that had Sean, Juggy D and Rich as its prime members. The trio exploded on the UK's Asian Underground scene with Dance With You, a chartbuster that made it to Top 20 hit. Such was the mania that even Virgin Records couldn't miss the chance of signing a £1 million deal with this rising star. Under Relentless Records, Jay belted out his first solo outing Eyes On You. The peppy beats and his velvety voice cast its spell on music lovers across the globe, making the song a Top 10 hit among all the Indian artists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8uztB31eUw

Global hip-hop icon

2004 came with the promise of Jay Sean being the next big thing. Each of his singles made the right noise in the music circle and soon he was hailed as the Asian sensation. His experimental and creative fusion of contemporary R&B and Indian music hit the right chord with music lovers across the globe. But his fallout with Virgin Records gave him time to self-reflect and use it to write songs. After a hiatus of almost two years, Sean returned with a bang with his second album My Own Way, which debuted at number six in the UK with its hit song Ride It smashing records. He soon found himself nominated at MOBO Award for Best UK Male and Best R&B/Soul among music heavyweights like Chris Brown, Estelle and Ne-Yo, which spoke volumes about him gaining popularity as a household sensation.

Champion of diversity

In 2008, Jay scripted history when he bagged a deal with Cash Money Records becoming the first South Asian singer and among few Indian artists to achieve the feat. The accomplishment opened an opportunity for the world to witness South Asian culture from close quarters. The deal bagged Jay his first collaboration with Lil Wayne, and the single became an instant hit zooming its way up the Billboard. This made him the first Asian British artiste to top the Hot 100 since Freddie Mercury of Queen in 1980.

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"Me getting to this point provides me the opportunity to show people what our culture is all about. Our community is just as or even more so musically inclined and now is our time to show the world that we are just like everybody else. The fact that my grandfather and my father had to hide their identity to assimilate into culture was unjust. They did not think that such barriers could be broken in their lifetime. I take it very seriously that I have one shot to make it – not just for myself, but my community," he said in an interview.

Smashing stereotypes

After winning three awards including Best Male, Best Urban Act and Best Album at the 2009 UK Asian Music Awards, he performed with Akon at the Grammy same year. Such was the craze around this British Asian sensation that he found himself on Number 35 in Billboard's Hot 100 Artists of the year. The year came to a stunning end for the artiste as he became the first South Asian to perform at the Madison Square Garden in New York. For the next few years, he belted out hits after hits with The Mistress, Do You Remember and All or Nothing. It was in 2015 that he reunited with Rishi Rich and Juggy D to restart the Rishi Rich project with their new single Freak.

In 2020, Jay resurfaced with a bang with Eyes on You 2 which reached No 1 on BBC Asian Chart. While his journey has had its shares of ups and downs, like any Asian, he too felt stereotyped in the initial years of his career. "I have experienced stereotypes and lack of equal opportunities. The reason being that certain people don’t look at you as an artist but take the whole package into mind and put you in a box. I experienced it a lot but I also took it upon myself to show people very early on in my career that there was no stopping me. When they would label me as a specific type of artiste, I would break out of that box and do something completely different every single time. It’s something I really love doing. Hopping onto different genres and expanding on what I can do as an artiste," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idMkbS6LWA8

And now he is back with yet again foot tapping number Heartless, which coincides with his 20th year in the music industry. "I feel so blessed when I think about completing 20 years in this music industry. That is such a blessing because now everything is so disposable," he said.

Giving back

When he is not busy making music, he lends support to organisations and causes that resonate with him. For someone who was training to be a doctor in his graduation, medical field is closer to his heart. In 2004 and 2009, he supported the Aga Khan Foundation in the charity event Partnership Walk and Run by performing in Regent's Park. Around the same time, he performed at Justin Timberlake's charity concert to raise funds for the Shriners Hospital for Children, thus raising more than $9 million along with artistes like Taylor Swift and Alicia Key. In 2012, he joined Child Hunger Ends Here campaign, and recorded a song Here's Hope to create awareness.

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Jonita Gandhi: The Indo-Canadian YouTuber who is ruling Bollywood chartbusters

(August 13, 2021; 9.40 am) One balmy afternoon in May 2012, Indo-Canadian artist Jonita Gandhi exploded on YouTube with the acoustic cover of Pani Da Rang. Her velvety voice, the soothing melody and distinctive tone serenaded millions across the globe. A YouTube star was born. Her covers catapulted her to fame and to the studios of Bollywood music composers, making her one of the few Indo-Canadians to have made it big in the Hindi film industry. What started on YouTube soon translated into big offers from music composers. In a short span, Gandhi had reserved a spot amongst Bollywood's best playback singers. Love for music began with her dad Born in New Delhi, Gandhi moved to Canada with her family when she was just 9 months old. Growing up in Brampton, she fell in love with Indian music at a young age, thanks to her dad who was a part-time musician. Seeing the potential in Gandhi, her father encouraged her to perform at community events where he played the keyboard. So at 7, Gandhi began her musical journey. [caption id="attachment_7264" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Jonita Gandhi with her dad in a throwback photo[/caption] "Growing up, I always had Indian music playing around the

, Gandhi began her musical journey.

[caption id="attachment_7264" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Jonita Gandhi with her dad in a throwback photo[/caption]

"Growing up, I always had Indian music playing around the house. My father was a musician and he played the keyboard for a lot of community events; he would listen to a lot of old Bollywood numbers from the retro era. Listening to those songs played at home, I would hum along to the tune and when my father heard me, he realized that I had potential and so he encouraged me to practice and perform with him on shows and it just took off from there," she told The Hindu.

Keeping up with her riyaz and formal training in Western and Hindustani classical singing, Gandhi graduated in health science and business from the University of Western Ontario. But her heart was in music, and at 16, she auditioned for Canadian Idol. However, she failed to get past the audition rounds. That did not deter Gandhi from pursuing her passion.

The biggest discovery - YouTube

In 2010 it was YouTube that came to Gandhi's rescue, and made her a pop sensation. Back in the day, YouTube videos were far from the sleek and stylized versions one sees today. Instead they were home-made amateur videos put together by youngsters who were happy experimenting with the medium. Gandhi was one such youngster who recorded a video in the basement of her home and posted on YouTube.

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, she said,

"I was too shy. If I had to sing, everybody had to turn around or I would close my eyes so that I don’t see anybody. Maybe that is why YouTube caught my fancy. You can do it on your own, whenever you feel like, and perfect it before the world gets a glimpse of it."

Viral sensation

It was here that she stumbled upon composer, singer and pianist Akash Gandhi with whom she collaborated for the cover of Pani Da Rang which went viral in no time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjDHXaDbkRY

Soon, Gandhi became an overnight sensation. The popularity helped her belt out more covers like Suhaani Raat and Tum Hi Ho which made her portfolio unique in its own way. With each cover, she kept winning hearts and followers.

It was her North America tour with singer Sonu Nigam that prompted her to consider singing as a professional career. "That experience made me think seriously about giving a professional career as a singer a shot. With two degrees in hand and a solid backup plan to fall back on, I thought why not. Thankfully, I toured with Sonuji for the first few years while I was in India and simultaneously worked on making a name for myself," she told Darpan Magazine.

If her cover of Yeh Honsla garnered a great response on YouTube and a retweet from original music composers Salim-Sulaiman, her 2012 cover of Christmas Carol Silent Night caught music maestro AR Rahman's fancy.

Bollywood calling

In no time, Gandhi was in Mumbai and singing her first Bollywood song for composer duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravijani's Chennai Express. This big break took her to the studio of AR Rahman for Imtiaz Ali's Highway — this was just the beginning of her long innings in Bollywood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzFrmipJ1V8

Despite her big Bollywood break, Gandhi was subjected to prejudices owing to her accent.

"Most people would hear me speak before they heard me sing and assume that I couldn’t pronounce lyrics correctly because of my Canadian accent. This was a barrier for me at first," she added.

However, Gandhi wasn't ready to give into the preconceived notions and won everyone over with her talent. Interestingly, the 31-year-old now sings in eight languages.

In the last eight years with songs like Yaadon Mein (Harry Met Sejal) and The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) to her credit, Gandhi has earned the reputation of one of the best playback singers in the industry. For someone from Canada who'd had no connections within Bollywood, Gandhi learnt the ropes of the business on her own and has come a long way.

Global citizen

Despite her success in the Indian film industry, Gandhi hasn't restricted herself to it. She has been collaborating with independent artists from India and abroad for her singles. For someone who calls herself the citizen of the world, she continues to go wherever her voice takes.

This May, the popular singer was in for a surprise when she found herself on one of the billboards of Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto as part of Spotify's North American campaign for empowering Asian artists and their contribution to the global music space. Interestingly, she was the only Indo-Canadian singer among several Asian artists featured on the list. "To see myself on the iconic billboard seemed a far-fetched dream. It is an honor to celebrate my South Asian roots in my home country,” she told IANS.

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It's not easy to make a mark in a place like Bollywood that survives on cut-throat competition, and especially when you are an outsider. But Gandhi is proof that talent transcends borders. From a YouTuber to playback singer, Gandhi has come a long way on her own steam and is an inspiration for millions to make it big in Bollywood.

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Prateek Kuhad: The indie singer who made it to Barack Obama’s playlist

(July 30, 9:55 am) "I held my breath, and so did you We'll be okay I promise you I'll sing you home, and be with you And all skies will follow through you." - You are Mine (Prateek Kuhad, 2017) The wistful songs, the melancholic melody, and the soulful vocals; Prateek Kuhad is a mood. He is like a cup of hot coffee on a cold morning. A warm blanket on a rainy night. A soothing balm to a broken heart. Kuhad is unlike any artist, and it's his music that makes him stand out among a sea of musicians. For someone who recorded his first song on his iPhone to making it to Barack Obama's favorite playlist, the New York University-educated singer and songwriter has come a long way. The 31-year-old has not only found a cult following among desi millennials but has also put Indian music on the global map with his soulful songs. Here's the journey of one of the most popular indie musicians in the country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XV5tw_FHdU A guitar - that's where it all began It was in Jaipur that Kuhad grew up with his lawyer dad, artist mom, and two sisters. Like every 90s kid, he

the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XV5tw_FHdU

A guitar - that's where it all began

It was in Jaipur that Kuhad grew up with his lawyer dad, artist mom, and two sisters. Like every 90s kid, he was raised on a healthy diet of MTV and Channel V. It was in his teens that he fell in love with the guitar and his fondness for the instrument amplified after listening to bands such as Jal, Silk Route, and Strings. VH1 introduced a young Kuhad to American and British music, and soon Cliff Richard, Harry Belafonte, and John Mayer became his favorites. Even though music was an integral part of Kuhad's life, he had no aspiration of seeking it as a profession.

A good student, Kuhad was preparing to get into an engineering college when he was accepted at New York University for a degree in maths and economics. It is here that he discovered the folk singer Elliott Smith, the classic records of Bob Dylan, and contemporary folk artists such as Laura Marling. These legends inspired Kuhad to get serious about the guitar and songwriting. By the time he graduated, he had already performed a handful of gigs and composed a couple of songs - but all for fun.

While music was always on his mind, Kuhad had plans of becoming an analyst at a bank, and he actually did join a company only to be fired within a few months.

Termination letter led to his first song

It took a termination letter and an overwhelming feeling of depression for him to find his true calling.

In his words, nothing was working out for him and he was doubting himself. And it was this uncertainty that he poured into a song 'There's something wrong with the way I think.'

He gave himself dedicated time to make music, a decision that changed the trajectory of his life.

In a conversation with First Post, he said,

"I got fired from my job, [so] I thought I'll give myself this one year and see how it goes. It had been irking me for a while making me want to give music at least a shot. Then it just kept going from there."

In 2003, Kuhad packed his bags and returned to India, and went on a travel spree with the intention of making music. But unlike other amateurs, he did not take the route of doing a cover. Instead, he released his first EP (a musical recording that is shorter than a full album) Raat Raazi, which had five songs. It just took a simplistic setting with a guitar for a 23-year-old Kuhad to create magic with his debut song. Raat Raazi was good enough to get him noticed, so much so that he started getting shows. The warm reception of his first EP was enough for Kuhad to belt out more songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77wafaFbZ6Y

The beginning of brand Prateek Kuhad

With no collaborations or music labels backing him, it was social media that came to Kuhad's rescue.

"When it released, I put it on social media, which got the attention I needed to get gigs. Weekender reached out to me and I played with them in five cities. It is all word of mouth. I had put out a live recording of Raat Raazi. It was shot on my iPhone and went viral," he told HT Brunch.

At a time when the entire country was grooving to Bollywood beats, Kuhad's songs spoke of love, melancholy, and pain in their raw form. And it cut deeply for most of his fans. His style of blending minimally arranged melodies with intense lyrics found him a huge fan following.

It was in 2015 that he released his first full-fledged album In Tokens & Charms with 10 songs, and since then he has been headlining gigs across the world that are attended by tens of thousands.

The Indian musician's international gigs

Two years later, the independent singer and songwriter picked up the Best Indian Act trophy at MTV Europe Music Award for his song 100 Words.

Kuhad, who has created his own space in the independent music scene, has consciously stayed away from Bollywood.

"Bollywood means being in Mumbai, going and meeting people, being seen in the right company. I decided not to take that route but to release my own music and build my fan base," he added.

Prateek Kuhad

Though he has composed a total of four songs for Bollywood, Kuhad is happy to be an indie artist.

"Especially today, there is so much happening in the music scene with the Internet and social media helping artists reach out to newer audiences. It is a big enough industry and it is possible to exist outside Bollywood, and also coexist with it," he said.

But it was his 2018 EP cold/mess that compelled many to take notice of his talent powerhouse. The melancholic lyrics and wispy vocals speak of heartbreak like nothing else. The song turned out to be one of his biggest hits till now. So much so that even Barack Obama couldn't ignore it.

Barack Obama's surprise tweet

After bringing his successful run of 30 shows in the US, Europe, and India to a beautiful end in Delhi in 2019, Kuhad was in for a real surprise as he made it to Barack Obama's favorite annual playlist. His song cold/mess made Kuhad stand tall among the likes of Beyonce, Frank Ocean, Lizzo, and Solange.

Sharing his list of top 35 songs from 2019, Obama tweeted:

From hip-hop to country to The Boss, here are my songs of the year. If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a long drive or help you turn up a workout, I hope there’s a track or two in here that does the trick. pic.twitter.com/mQ2VssyDwt

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 30, 2019

An oblivious Kuhad had no idea how his song reached Obama but he has found a fan in the former US President. The listing also helped in defying perceptions that his music was a hit only with the millennials. That tweet made Kuhad one of the most-googled people in America that day.

Even back home, fans erupted into a social media frenzy to find Kuhad's cold/mess on the list. Obama's nod catapulted Kuhad to international recognition and fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il7Nv270zNk

Making it big internationally

Kuhad has been making the right noise in the international music circuit, and his deal with American record company Elektra is proof of it. Kuhad became the first-ever Indian artist to be signed by the label, which has successful artists like Brandi Carlile and Kaleo on its list.

Kuhad is one of the rare Indian musicians who has put his stamp on the world of music, but he does get caught up in the strings of prejudice at times.

"I am definitely one of the very few Indians working in the American music industry. There are a few brown people but mostly they are Indian Americans. The music industry is rather chill about them. It is not so much about skin color. But when they learn that I am an Indian Indian, they tend to think that I want to do world music kind of stuff. So I really need to make them listen to my music to break these preconceived notions," he added.

Editor's Take

When Prateek Kuhad exploded on the internet with his first song Raat Raazi, little did he know that he would become the new face of Indian indie music. His soulful renditions have become a hit across the world. Such has been the magic of his music that former US President Barack Obama picked his song for his annual playlist. Music can break barriers, and Kuhad is a perfect example of it. His story is also a great demonstration of how the internet has democratized the playing field for artists - gone are the days when getting a foot into Bollywood was the only way for Indian musicians to succeed.

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