![32 Musicians Of Indian Descent Creating Sensational Sounds Abroad [Vol. II]](http://media.assettype.com/homegrown%2Fimport%2Ffacebook-35566-Presentation13.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
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[In case you missed it, read volume I of this list right here. This piece was originally published with Misha Mansoor included, but as it turns out, his origins don’t trace back to India, so he has been removed from the list.]
The international music scene is currently grappling with neo genres and interesting never-before-heard sounds. There isn’t a dominating umbrella of the kind of music that is to be played anymore. And amidst all this experimentation is the keenness to embrace the sounds that come from around the globe. In this, India was always known as the country with a strong classical music heritage and pop sound.
For a long time, Indian musicians like the late Pt. Ravi Shankar, and now his daughter Anoushka, and the tabla maestro Zakir Hussain amongst others were seeked out for their classical sounds, as they acted as perfect fusion partners. Others like Biddu, a young rock musician in India, followed, who then went to England and became a successful music producer along with Asha Puthli, who deftly became a Jazz sweetheart. But contemporary international music has seen the birth of a few aficionados bringing intriguing and compelling styles of music to the fore, many of them of Indian descent, proving how far and wide our country’s sonic landscape is expanding. Never before have as many independent Indian artists had so many platforms to showcase their talents on, and every year, the number of homegrown talents we see being accepted on the world stage only seems to grow. Moreover, this growth has sprung up a new hybrid breed of equally talented artists who have roots in both places, India and abroad. We’ve attempted this list before, but with so many musicians to do justice to, we felt like we had to give it another shot so here we are again, with yet another compilation of some of the most promising talents, who trace their roots to India, and are making the right waves across the globe, however small or big. Fun fact--we don’t know what it is, but Indians really do seem to fit in particularly well in the strong-headed, supremely talented metal community.
[Note to readers — this list is presented in alphabetical order and in no particular order of preference.]
I. AMIT
AMIT has been producing electronic music for a while now, in his own personal, unique experimental space, and is credited to have developed the ‘half-step’ sub-genre in Drum and Bass.His debut album deftly placed him as one of the unique artists in the electronic space. He creates an atmosphere of deep paranoia, and strong vocals, and is one to look out for.
II. Ankur Batra | Fire On Dawson
Karlsruhe, Germany boasts of the acclaimed neo-progressive rock band Fire on Dawson. Started in 2006, this band’s lead vocalist Ankur Batra finds his origins in the subcontinent of India. And apart from his refined vocals, Batra also contributes lyrics infused with personal emotions drawn from his real-life experiences so there’s definitely a point of interest for all open-minded music lovers to dive into, if they want to get to know his music better.
III. Anup Sastry | Jeff Loomis, Intervals
This Maryland-based metal musician is an aspiring audio engineer and producer, and is currently the drummer for Jeff Loomis’ band, the Canadian instrumental band Intervals, while the progressive metal band Skyharbor has also seen him play for them in the past. In 2013, Anup caused waves in the metal music community when he released his debut solo album ‘Ghost’.
IV. Ben Khan
Inspired by J Dilla’s endless grooves & B.B.King’s deep blues, this 21 year old London artist makes brash, modern pop with an elusive edge. Though his handful of spiked minimalist funk tracks have reached more than 2 million views, says he’s “not big on living his life out loud”.
V. Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh | Brown Brigade, Sum 41, Organ Thieves
Canadian musician, singer and producer David Nizam Baksh is best known as the ex-lead guitarist of the much-loved punk rock band Sum 41. With his musical passion undying, he is now the singer and guitarist of his own heavy metal reggae blend project ‘Brown Brigade’. Not just that, he also plays the guitar for Organ Thieves with two fellow Brown Brigade members, and shreds for the Canadian death punk group Black Cat Attack as well. And to add to his unending list of wide-spread musical dabbling, he has now rejoined his original band Sum 41.
VI. DJ Hvad
Originally Hari Shankar Kishore, this Denmark-based DJ describes his style as square, fast, alternative and Indian-inspired. Born to a Danish father and a Punjabi mother, his furious and animated beats resonate political and social unrest, and his music acts as an anthem for his cause.
Catch DJ Hvad’s beats here.
VII. Freddie Mercury | Queen
The British singer, song-writer and producer Freddie Mercury, best known as the lead vocalist and song-writer of the internationally loved rock band Queen hails from India, and as we exclaim with utmost pride, Mumbai. In a 2005 poll by Blender and MTV2, Mercury was voted the best male singer of all time, as he’s considered one of the greatest rock legends in history. Not to mention, apart from his beautiful voice and spectacular lyrics, his stage presence is phenomenal, and his performances are unparalleled in energy and passion.
VIII. Heems
Himanshu Suri, popularly known as Heems broke out in the American music scene with his collaboration with his friend Victor Vazquez, with his alternative rap project, Das Racist, which when joined with another musician of Indian roots, Ashok Kondabolu as hype man, gained a new status for alternative hip hop in America. Heems, most known for his lyrics infused with quirky humour and pop culture references, has now began an independent career, with his first solo mixtape Nehru Jacket getting interesting reviews.
IX. Ian D’sa | Billy Talent
From the coastal haven of Goa hails this English-Canadian all-rounder musician. He’s talented enough to be a one man band, acing everything from song-writing, playing the guitar and piano, and singing to producing. Currently, he’s the guitarist for the rock band Billy Talent.
Follow Ian on Facebook, and catch Billy Talent’s music here.
X. Jai Paul
Wizard, fascinating, mysterious are just some of the words used for Jai Paul. His absence from the public eye notwithstanding, his debut demo BTSTU received rave reviews and a strong following in British Pop, with BBC’s Zane Lowe calling it the ‘Hottest Record in the World’. When his past records were illegally compiled in an album and released in Bandcamp, they made for hot sales, and the album was listen in Pitchfork’s Top 50 albums of 2013. Since the incident, Jai Paul has somewhat been in the downlow, with his fanbase eagerly waiting for him to make a comeback.
XI. Kim Thayil | Soundgarden
As the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, this American musician was named the 100th greatest guitar of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003. Thayil co-founded Soundgarden with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984 to take metal music back to its basic, which resonates the sounds of hard rock.
XII. KP Krishnamoorthy | Fractalline
From L.A, California comes the immensely talented guitarist of the technical death metal band Fractalline. What started off as a band in India called Myndsnare with KP and bassist Sandesh Nagaraj eventually turned into this full-form metal group in the US that is one of the most appreciated metal bands in California, today.
XIII. Luke Sital Singh
Singh is a british singer song writer who’s music has been compared to Bon Iver, Josh Ritter and the likes. Luke’s first ep names ‘Fail For You’ reached No.3 in the iTunes singer songwriter charts and No1 on both Bandcamp & Noisetrade in 2012. In 2013 he was names on the longlist of BBC’s Sound of 2014!
XIV. Mallika Sundaramurthy | Abnormality, Parasitic Extirpation
Based out of Boston, Mallika is a death metal vocalist for the bands Abnormality as well as Parasitic Extirpation. Signed with Sevared Records, this half-Tamil half-American singer’s extreme metal voice has been tearing apart various venues, and her brutal death band ,Abnormality, is a young American success.
XV. Norah Jones
American singer-songwriter, musician and actress Norah Jones’ whole name, Geetali Norah Jones Shankar, is a dead give-away of her Indian origin. Daughter of American Sue Jones and Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar, Norah dabbles in various genres from jazz and blues to folk and country, and even contemporary pop. With each and every beautiful song it’s apparent that this multi-talented vocalist, pianist and guitarist has music in her blood.
XVI. Nitin Sawhney
British musician Nitin Sawhney has branched out his music much like his eclectic sound with a strong body of work in jazz, hip hop and drum and bass. His versatility as a musician has made him one of the most sought after producers and composers, with him even having been nominated for a Mercury prize.
XVII. Pavan Mukhi | Foreign Beggars
Pavan Mukhi, founder of the acclaimed rap crew Foreign Beggars, took UK underground music by complete surprise after moving there post formation in Dubai. He has rapped for most part under the moniker Orifice Vulgatron, Pavan and his team went on to open for acts such as Snoop Dogg and Public Enemy. Much like his band which has a varied trajectory, the groups borrows influences from each member’s significant cultural base.
XVIII. Prashant Aswani
Currently based in L.A, California, this energetic guitarist describes his style as Indian rock fusion. As a recording artist and producer, Prashant has released his incredibly infectious music in four albums -- Revelation: Fully Loaded, Visions, Frequency and Duality.
XIX. Prashant Mistry | Engine EarZ Experiment
Multi-Instrumentalist Prashant Mistry (or Prash Mistry), having worked previously with music greats John Benitez and Foreign Beggars began Engine-EarZ Experiment, a live dubstep collective group in 2009. Called ‘The Massive Attack of the next generation’, Engine-Earz have received an outstanding welcome for being Dubstep’s first fully live act.
XX. Praveen Sharma (Braille) | Percussion Lab, Sepalcure
This Brooklyn-based music producer’s electronic creations can be found on his personal website Percussion Lab, or on his album produced under Sepalcure--a collaboration between Praveen and Travis ‘Machinedrum’ Stewart. Better known under his alias Braille, this American artist produces unique beats with vocal fragments, melancholy vibes and warm melodic bass sounds.
XXI. Ravi Bhadriraju | Job For A Cowboy (Past)
Grandson of respected Indian linguist and Dravidianist, Bhadriraju Krishnamurti, this USA-based musician found his style in death metal. Ravi was the rhythm guitarist and producer of Job for a Cowboy--a North American death metal band that got signed by Metal Blade, until he left the band to pursue his medical degree.
XXII. Robin Banerjee | The Amy Winehouse Band
Jazz and blues blended with reggae forms the style of British guitarist Robin Banerjee, who played on the late singer Amy Winehouse’s classic album Back to Black in 2006. As a part of her band, he toured with her for a year and a half, and played a tribute show to her in Israel at Zappa Tel Aviv. His fingers over guitar strings are like magic, producing beautiful melodies with each touch.
XXIII. Sameer Bhattacharya | Flyleaf
Lead guitarist of the American band Flyleaf, Sameer Bhattacharya is a song-writer as well as guitarist. This Texas alt-rock band’s second album Memento Mori was a hugely appreciated top-of-the-charts success.
XXIV. Sameer Gadhia | Young The Giant
California-based five-member band Young the Giant’s lead vocalist is half-Gujarati and half-Bengali. This indie band’s smooth rock sounds are an American success led by Sameer, whose talents range from vocals and percussion, to the keyboard as well as the guitar.
XXV. Shivum Sharma
When British producer Kwes took young Shivum Sharma under his label National Anthem that launched artists such as Haim, there was an obvious buzz to what he could offer. Shivum with his initial releases of Flicker and Only You, produced by Kwes, slowly became the new soul hero in the UK underground scene. With his spacious, serene vocals, and his unhurried sounds make him the new artists to watch out.
Check out his sounds here.
XXVI. Siddhartha Khosla | Goldspot
The multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer and film composer Siddhartha Khosla is the founder of the New York-based rock band Goldspot. Right from their debut album ‘Tally of the Yes Man’, this group has received wide-spread appreciation for their alternative sounds blended with indie rock and subtle hints of pop.
XXVII. Steve Chandra Savale | Asian Dub Foundation
Steve Chandra Savale better known by his stage name Chandrasonic, is the lead guitarist of British electronica band Asian Dub Foundation, with several other members of Indian origin such as John Pandit and Sanjay Tailor. The band was borne to combat a growing unrest against the Asian community in London, and has grown to present music with strong contemporary issue references and takeaways from the band members’ asian roots.
XXVIII. Sukh Knight
The East London dubstep and grime scene saw the arrival of sukh Knight who brought with him asian influences in his strong bassline productions. Along with fellow producers, Blue Bear and Alexander Growers, he began the True Tiger, a collective that remixed some of the best tracks of artists like Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Snoop Dogg, and created a cult status for itself in the UK underground scene.
XXIX. Tjinder Singh | Cornershop
The British indie rock band, Cornershop, was founded by singer, song-writer and guitarist Tjinder Singh along with his brother Avtar Singh, drummer David Chambers and Ben Ayres. Best known for the single ‘Brimful of Asha’, this band’s music is a fusion of Indian music, Britpop and electronic dance music.
XXX. Tony Ashwin Kanal | No Doubt
Born to Indian parents in London, Tony Ashwin Kanal is an American musician currently based out of California. As the bassist for the rock band No Doubt, he worked with vocalist Gwen Stefani for several years, as well as with reggae singer Elan Atias. His musical prowess extends from bass guitar to producing and songwriting, and genres are no limitation for Tony as he experiments with ska punk, reggae fusion, punk rock, pop punk, new wave, alternative rock and ska.
XXXI. Vinay Joseph | Mastema
Hailing from Kerala, Vinay Joseph started playing the guitar at the age of 14, and he never stopped. He has played in various urban cities of India, and performed at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival in 2008. After travelling the world with his music, he’s currently based out of Texas as part of the thrash metal band Mastema.
XXXII. Vishal “V” Khetia | Heart Of A Coward
Rising out of Milton Keynes, a town in England, is a five-member metal band fuelled by undying passion and immense talent. Bassist of the heavyweight metal band Heart Of A Coward, Vishal ‘V’ Khetia, along with the other four members, got signed by Century Media Records, and each track of their albums seem to tear apart the metal community, in a good way.
Research by: Pranay Gopinath
