If you are regular reader of this blog then you must be well-aware of the fact that I am such a huge music lover. I admire musicians a lot and I have my own set of favourites when it comes to Indian Musicians. My love for music is to such a level that my second novel VoiceMates was all about music and the passion for it. By God’s grace and readers love, it is still a bestseller. Though, I am not into hardcore classic music or Hindustani or carnatic music, so I will not comment about it here but as a music lover, as a listener and admirer of the musical works, I am share my most favourite Indian Musicians in this post. These are not in any order, I admire all of them equally. Also, the list includes some of the most famous Indian Musicians new and old. So let’s begin!
1. Kishore Kumar
Kishore da is one of my favourites since childhood. My dad was fan of his works and I have grown up listening to his music. He was not just an actor but also an amazing singer, a lyricist and a music director. Some of his amazing songs include Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si (Chalti ka naam gadi), Mere naina sawan bhaadon (Mehbooba), Yeh jo mohabbat hai (Kati patang), Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi (Mr. X in Bombay), O Mere Dil ke Chain (Mere Jeevan Saathi), Hume tumse pyar kitna (Kudrat), Mere Samne Wali Khidki (Padosan) and the list will go on and on.
2. R. D. Burman
Also known as pancham da, RD Burman is one of the finest musicians in Indian music industry. He was the man who introduced Western tunes in the Hindi film industry. His musical ideas were new and innovative. Heavily inspired by Western music, especially Arabian and Persian music, he experimented with several genres to create fusional music and some record-breaking songs. Some of the best songs he composed were Chura Liya hai tumne jo dil ko, Aja aja me hu pyar tera, tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa, ek chatur naar karke sringar, sagar jaisi ankho wali, Dil lena khel hai dildar ka and lots more.
3. Zakir Hussain
Ustad Zakir Hussain is an ace tabla vadak (player), a composer, a music producer and a percussionist. He is the eldest son of tabla maestro Ustad Allah Rakha. We all have heard him on Doordarshan when growing up (you’ll agree if you are a late 80s or early 90s kid) and saw him in the Wah Taj ads. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, by the Govt. of India presented by former president late Abdul Kalam.
4. Jagjit Singh
Known as the ‘Gazal king’, Lt. Jagjit Singh was. not just a singer but also a musician who have given some of the best Hindi songs and Gazals including Vo kagaz ki kashti, Jhuki jhuki si nazar, tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, koi fariyad and more.
5. AR Rahman
He is indeed a living legend whose music is simply magical. It all started with Roja and since then there is no turning back for this legendary musician. My favourite still remains the Jeans theme music. He has one 2 academy awards, 2 grammy awards, a BAFTA award, a golden globe award, 4 national awards and various filmfares and other music awards. Some of my favourites by AR Rahman are Tu he re, Rehna tu, Jai ho, Ae Ajnabi, Kehna he kya, Agar tum sath ho to name a few.
6. Hariprasad Chaurasia
This list will be incomplete if I didn’t mention Flute maetro Hariprasad Chaurasia. He is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the flute in the Hindustani classical tradition. His ‘walking in the rain’, and ‘song of the river’ are 2of my most favourite tunes. Most of my mornings begin with his soft flute tunes. He has bestowed with Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and many other prestigious awards. Apart from his flutes, his is also the music director for amazing musical hits like Silsila, Lamhe, Darr and Chandni.
These were some of the gems Indian musicians that I totally admire. Apart from these, I love and admire Mhd. Rafi, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Himesh Reshammiya and Mhd. Aziz. I will not say these are the only Indian musicians who are acing their talent and winning hearts, there are many more. But these were just a few of my favourites.
Also read:
World Music Day – Everything You Need to Know
Know What Your Choice Of Music Reveals About Your Personality
Yes, I love Himesh Reshammiya’s Music And Here’s Why?
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