Our favourite Indian Music, from the Youth Advisory Board at IME

I don’t listen to Indian music that much but Arijit Singh is really good along with Prathik Kuhad. Their voices are amazing!!

Song recommendations: Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Dil Beparvah, Gilehriyaan, Woh Din

Indian music is my favourite. I had a very cultural upbringing in a Tamil Carnatic music oriented/loving family. So, I was introduced to concerts etc. at a very young age and started to learn singing when I was very young. Being from a family like that, I gravitated to Indian music very quickly and it soon became my favourite genre of music. My favourite artists include:

• Sid Sriram: Sid Sriram is one of the most unique singers that I have encountered in Indian music. He comes from a Carnatic music background and he brings that Carnatic music essence to all the songs he sings. He is a Tamil and Telugu artist. Even when he sings a very catchy duet or a sad melancholic line, he sings it with such conviction and dedication. It’s very wonderful to see such talent.
• Santhosh Narayanan: Santhosh Narayanan or SaNa is a composer who composes music for Tamil films. What sets him apart from his contemporaries is his unique use of verbal sounds for background music and in songs. He uses a person shouting in musical synchrony in a lot of his songs. He has been known also for incorporating rural and ancient instruments into his songs. He has garnered mass appeal through his
• Shreya Ghoshal: Shreya Ghoshal is a very famous Indian singer and sings in all major Indian languages. She is known nation-wide for her versatility. She is considered as one of the few singers who can sing in so many languages while sounding like a native in all of them.
• Arijit Singh: Arijit Singh is a singer who sings songs in the Hindi language. He is a classic example of being the best at what you do. Arijit has one of the most soulful voices in the current generation of singers. He can pull off any kind of song with such conviction,especially his melancholic tunes that can touch any broken heart.
• Anirudh Ravichander: Anirudh Ravichander is currently one of the most popular composers in the South Indian circuit. He does everything that a composer does- hit party songs, melodious romantic ballads or a rousing BGM to suit the film. But, apart from this, whenever he works in a big star’s film, he takes one of their prolific movie’s BGM and clubs it with an original track to produce music with a hint of nostalgia and originality.”

Song recommendations: Anbil Avan, Adiye, Taare Ginn, Thalli Pogathey, Jashne Bahara, Mullu Koneyamele, Kun faya Kun, Khamoshiyan, Rait Zara si, Aabad Barbad, and more all included in the playlist linked at the top of the post.

I listen to old Hindi songs by Lata Mangeshkar and some songs by Yesudas.

Song recommendations: Ajeeb Dastan

Most of the Indian music I listen to comes from my parents’ playlists, or the T.V. programs going on in the background; these include old and new Tamil and Kannada songs, along with some Telugu or Hindi. I know a lot of songs, but am more of a passive than an active listener when it comes to Indian music. Also, any song in a movie where the main lead goes on a bike to the mountains will 95% of the time be a good song.

Song recommendations: Echo, Enjoy Enjaami, Control, Kagadha Doniyalli, Aagaayam Theepiditha, Yenga Pulla Irukkae, Aaraam, Yennai Maatrum Kaadhalae, Vedanti Helidanu, Neene Saakida Gini, Nenje Yezhu, Kadal(album), 96(album), and more included in the playlist.

I do not listen to a lot of Indian music, but I recently discovered Tesher through reels and I enjoy his music.

Song recommendations: Young Shahrukh