Over the past couple of decades, musicians from all over India have taken the world by storm. Be it Indian classical or Indo-fusion music, some brilliant musicians have knowingly or unknowingly put India on the map for its amazing music.
When we talk about Indian music going global, there are quite a few Indian music artists we can not miss out on. Be it an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, or a GRAMMY, our nation's artists are no strangers to winning them all. In this feature, we explore some of the best Indian artists and upcoming Indian artists in the world of music because of whom Indian music is going global.
Eight music artists taking India places:
1. Aditya Prakash (vocalist)
Known for his powerful and emotive voice, Aditya Prakash is one of the youngest musicians to tour and perform with Pandit Ravi Shankar at the mere age of 16. An expert in Carnatic music, Aditya Prakash has collaborated with some of the best Indian artists including Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan, Anoushka Shankar, and Asian Underground artist Karsh Kale.
2. Arushi Jain (music producer)
Producing music that is deep-rooted in the colours and beauty of Indian culture, Arushi Jain is a singer, a pianist, and a music producer who started training when she was 8 years old. With a career in software engineering, Arushi is settled in the USA. It was here that she discovered the world of sound synthesis. She draws inspiration from her diasporic identity in the notion of ragas.
3. Raja Kumari (rapper, songwriter and singer)
Hailing from Claremont, California, Raja Kumari is an Indian-origin American rapper, songwriter, and singer. Her real name is Svetha Yallapragada Rao but adopted the stage name Raja Kumari. Widely popular for collaborating with various international musical artists such as Iggy Azalea, Gwen Steffani, Fall Out Boy, and Fifth Harmony, Raja Kumari has won several accolades on national and international levels.
4. Raveena Aurora (singer)
Our list of best Indian music artists would be incomplete without this one. Raised between Queens and Connecticut by Indian-origin Sikh parents, Raveena’s music is a mix of contemporary R&B with roots from her South Asian diaspora. She grew up listening to Bollywood songs and began writing at 13 while experimenting with different musical genres. She created history by being the first Indian woman to perform at Coachella in 2022. After debuting with EP, Shanti was released in 2017 after which her first independent album, Lucid was released in 2019.
5. Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh (singer and music producer)
Singer, musician, and music producer David Nizam Baksh settled in Canada. Being the ex-lead guitarist of the much-loved rock band Sum 41, he is now the singer and guitarist of his heavy metal reggae project Brown Brigade. With an undying passion for music, he plays the guitar for Organ Thieves along with Brown Brigade members by his side. Some time ago, he rejoined the original band he was a part of - Sum 41. Indeed, Indian music is going global.
6. Paradox (singer)
With a track ranking on the daily viral songs chart on a global level, Tanishq Singh or Paradox is an upcoming singer to watch out for this year. He shot to fame as a contestant in MTV Hustle 2.0 and is known for his amazing songs like ‘Jaadugar,’ ‘Rihaayi,’ among others. The super famous rapper Badshah became a fan of this artist while he was on the show. After having crossed 3 million listeners on Spotify, Paradox has become the youngest rapper in India. One of the best upcoming Indian artists to look out for.
7. RAK (rapper)
If there is one place in Mumbai known to birth some of the most talented rappers, it is Dharavi. With the initiation of the Dharavi Dream Project and multilingual crews such as Slumgods and Dopeadelicz loved by millions, RAK followed next. His debut EP, Kaalai was in Tamil language through and through which lends him individuality of putting his Tamil identity forward - unlike most of the rappers who rap in Hindi. With a distinct do not mess with me attitude, the songs are brutally honest and refreshing.
8. Rehan Dalal (music composer)
What do you call a person who has struck a perfect balance between his work and passion? Rehan Dalal. A web developer during the day, Rehan transitions into his alter ego - a musician by the evening. Born in Mumbai, Rehan moved to Canada to pursue a degree in computer science and eventually began writing songs. With a passion for the keyboard, Rehan has made some incredible songs like Walk With Me has been featured among the top 10 Indian radio hits in 2013. To add another feather to his cap, he was a featured artist at the 28th Toronto International Jazz Festival.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication only.