5 Indian Folk Music Artists You Need to Know

India has a rich and diverse musical heritage. From folk to classical, there are many genres of music to explore. Here are 5 Indian folk music artists you need to know.

Indian folk music is a genre of music that dates back centuries.

Indian folk music is a genre of music that dates back centuries. It is traditionally performed by peasant farmers and is often accompanied by dance. The music varies from region to region and is usually passed down from generation to generation.

5 Indian Folk Music Artists You Need to Know
1. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2. Begum Akhtar
3. Pandit Ravi Shankar
4. Bismillah Khan
5. Vilayat Hussain Khan

There are many different types of Indian folk music, each with its own history and tradition.

India is a land of rich culture and heritage. Folk music is an important part of this heritage, with different regions of the country having their own unique styles. Here are five Indian folk music artists you need to know:

1. Gundecha Brothers – Dhrupad
The Gundecha Brothers are among the foremost exponents of the dhrupad style of Indian classical music. This centuries-old tradition is characterized by its slow tempo and emphasis on melody over rhythm. The Gundecha Brothers have been performing since the early 1990s and have released several highly acclaimed albums.

2. Alam Khan – Sarode
Alam Khan is one of the leading sarode players in India. Sarode is a type of lute that originates from the region of Rajasthan. It has a distinctive sound that is often described as being “reedy” or “ nasal”. Alam Khan comes from a long line of sarode players and has performed all over the world.

3. Kailash Kher – Sufi Rock
Kailash Kher is a popular Indian singer who fuses traditional Sufi music with contemporary rock and roll elements. His unique style has made him one of the most popular musicians in India, with a large following both within the country and abroad. Kher’s songs often deal with spiritual themes and have been known to induce trance-like states in his listeners.

4. Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt – Mohan Veena
Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is a Grammy Award-winning musician who specializes in playing the mohan veena, a type of slide guitar that he invented himself. Bhatt’s style draws from both Hindustani classical music and traditional folk styles from various parts of India. He has collaborated with many well-known musicians, including Ry Cooder and George Harrison.

5. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Qawwali
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani singer who specialized in the qawwali style of Sufi devotional music. Qawwali is characterized by its fast tempo and use of intricate vocal patterns, often involving rapid alternation between different notes. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was one of the most popular qawwali singers of his generation and his work has had a significant impact on popular culture, both in Pakistan and abroad.

Some of the most popular Indian folk music artists include:

1. Susheela Raman- Susheela Raman is a Carnatic and Hindustani classical singer who has been praised for her unique style of singing that blends North and South Indian music.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, a form of Sufi Islamic devotional music. Considered one of the greatest voices ever recorded, he possessed an extraordinary range of vocal abilities and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. A master of whistling techniques, he was able to produce two octaves on a single breath.

Khan was born in Faisalabad, Punjab, into a family of traditional qawwals tracing their lineage back 500 years to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He began performing at the age of 16 and rapidly rose to fame throughout Pakistan and India. Khan’s first major hit was “Haq Ali Ali”, which was followed by a series of successful recordings including “Mustt Mustt”, “Ali Da Malang Mein”, and “Dam Mast Qalandar”. He collaborated with many leading musicians, including Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder, Timbuck2, and Michael Brook.

In 1987, Khan helped popularize qawwali music outside South Asia with a performance at the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival in England. He also toured extensively in North America and Europe. In fact, his 1991 concert at Carnegie Hall is considered one of the most memorable performances in the history of the venue.

Khan’s work is characterized by its fusion of traditional South Asian instrumentation with contemporary Western sounds. He employed elements from genres as diverse as rock, jazz, electronica, and classical music in his recordings. His final album, Nights in London (1996), featured an eclectic mix of styles including rap and drum ‘n’ bass.

Khan died suddenly in 1997 at the age of 48 due to cardiac arrhythmia. His musical legacy lives on through his many recordings as well as through the work of his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who has carried on the family tradition of qawwali singing.

Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional Indian languages as well as foreign languages. Her career started in 1942 and has spanned over seven decades. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor.

Mangeshkar was born in 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a Marathi-speaking family. Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a classical singer and her mother Shevanti was a homemaker. Mangeshkar had five siblings, four sisters (Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath) and one brother (Pandit Vinayak). The family moved to Mumbai when Lata was thirteen years old.

Mangeshkar’s first film playback singing experience came about when she was just twelve years old. music director Master Vinayak asked her to sing Saawan Aaya for the film Tadpoles (1942). The song was composed by Dada Chandekar with lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. Despite her inexperience, Mangeshkar managed to impress Chandekar with her voice and Taadpole went on to become a major hit.

Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhosle is a legendary Indian singer who has recorded over 12,000 songs in 20 different languages. She is best known for her work in Hindi films, but has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi and Urdu. Bhosle’s career began in 1943 when she started singing for Hindi films. She quickly became one of the most popular playback singers of the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to her work in films, Bhosle has also released several solo albums and duets with other singers. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honor, in 2008.

Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is another legendary Indian singer who is often referred to as the “nightingale of India.” She has recorded over 50,000 songs in 20 different languages. Mangeshkar started her career in 1942 and has since sung for Hindi films as well as Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri and Oriya films. She has also released several solo albums and duets with other singers. Mangeshkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, in 2001.

Mohammad Rafi
Mohammad Rafi was a prolific Indian playback singer who worked in Hindi films from the 1940s to the 1980s. He recorded over 4,000 songs during his career. Rafi was known for his versatility and he sang songs in a variety of genres including ghazals, bhajans (devotional songs), qawwalis (Sufi devotional music), classical songs and filmi (film) songs. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 1967 and posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001.

Mukesh
Mukesh was a popular Indian playback singer who worked in Hindi films from the 1940s to the 1980s. He recorded over 3200 songs during his career which spanned nearly four decades. Mukesh was known for his distinctive voice and he sang many of Hindi cinema’s most romantic songs. Some of his most famous tracks include “Chahunga Main Tujhe” from Dosti (1964), “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham” from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham… (2001) and “Tere Bina Zindagi Se” from Aandhi (1975). Mukesh was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 1972 and posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001.

Mahendra Kapoor
Mahendra Kapoor was an Indian playback singer who worked mainly in Hindi films from 1960 to 1988. He recorded nearly 1000 songs during his career which spanned nearly three decades. Kapoor was known for his versatile voice and he sang a variety of genres including ghazals (Urdu poems set to music), bhajans (devotional songs), filmi (film) songs and patriotic songs. Some of his famous tracks include “Mere Desh Ki Dharti” from Upkar (1967), “Rote Hue Aate Hain Sab” from Gharaonda (1977) and “Jaane Woh Kaise Log The” from Pakeezah (1972). Kapoor received several awards throughout his career including a Filmfare Award as well as two National Film Awards.”

Mohammed Rafi

Mohammed Rafi was born in 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh, a village in present-day Punjab, India. Rafi’s family was from a small town called Dabwali Jubbal (now in Himachal Pradesh), but had moved to Kotla Sultan Singh when his father became the police inspector for the area. As a young man, Rafi moved to Lahore, where he worked as a playback singer for film studios. In 1944, he made his singing debut in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch.

Over the next three decades, Rafi recorded thousands of songs for Hindi films, earning a reputation as one of the most popular and respected playback singers of his generation. He sang songs in a variety of genres, including ghazals, qawwalis, bhajans, and patriotic songs. Rafi was also known for his ability to adapt his voice to suit the style of the film or the singer he was working with; he frequently collaborated with singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and Kishore Kumar.

Rafi’s career peaked in the 1960s and 1970s; he was particularly successful in working with music directors like Shankar-Jaikishan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and Mohammed Zahur Khayyam. He won several Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer throughout his career. Rafi died of a heart attack in 1980 at the age of 55.

Indian folk music is a genre of music that is enjoyed by people all over the world.

Indian folk music is a genre of music that is enjoyed by people all over the world. The music has its roots in the subcontinent of India and is characterized by its use of Indian instruments, rhythms, and melodies. Indian folk music artists have been able to gain a worldwide following thanks to their unique sound and the popularity of Indian culture. If you’re looking for some new music to explore, here are five Indian folk music artists you need to know.

1. Laxmi Bhanji – Laxmi Bhanji is a folk singer from the state of Gujarat in India. She is known for her beautiful voice and her ability to connect with her audience. Her songs are often based on traditional Gujarati folk tales and legends.

2. Mukhtiyar Ali – Mukhtiyar Ali is a folk singer from the state of Rajasthan in India. He is known for his upbeat songs and his energetic stage presence. His songs often deal with topics such as love, loss, and social injustice.

3. Reshma – Reshma is a folk singer from the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. She is known for her powerful voice and her emotional songs. Her songs often deal with topics such as love, marriage, and motherhood.

4. Gul Panra – Gul Panra is a folk singer from the tribal region of Pakistan. She is known for her captivating voice and her mesmerizing stage presence. Her songs often deal with topics such as love, loss, and social injustice.

5. Sona Mohapatra – Sona Mohapatra is a folk singer from the state of Odisha in India. She is known for her unique voice and her ability to connect with her audience. Her songs often deal with topics such as love, loss, marriage, and motherhood