Music

MUMBAI - Composer Salim Merchant says the rise of independent music has made it far easier for artists to release their work, something that was much harder in the past. “Independent music has already changed,” he said. “There used to be

India-West News Desk MUMBAI - Indian pop-rock band SANAM has confirmed a four-city North American tour for May 2026, produced by Kash Patel Productions, bringing its reinterpretations of classic Hindi film music to audiences in Canada and the United States. The quartet of Sanam Puri,

MUMBAI- Ananya Wadkar, daughter of Padma Shri awardee Suresh Wadkar, has made her singing debut with the song ‘Vaada Hai’ from the Shahid Kapoor-starrer ‘O’ Romeo’. She said she grew up listening to Vishal Bhardwaj’s music and that getting the

MUMBAI- Acclaimed singer Shaan has shed light on how female singers are being given fewer lines compared to their male counterparts in the music industry. Shaan shared that this is becoming an increasing trend. He pointed out that earlier, both male

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - FedEx has filed suit against the U.S. government, demanding what it calls a “full refund” of tariffs it paid under trade measures imposed last year by President Donald Trump that were later struck down

MUMBAI- Superstar singer Arijit Singh, who recently announced his retirement from playback singing, has issued a clarification regarding the continued release of his songs after stepping away from new assignments. On February 24, the singer took to X, formerly Twitter, and

NEW DELHI- Bahraini rapper Flipperachi said he realized his track ‘FA9LA’, featured in Ranveer Singh’s film ‘Dhurandhar’, had become a phenomenon in India when an outpouring of videos, crowd reactions, and messages from across the country began arriving steadily. Asked when and

NEW DELHI -The Delhi High Court has granted an injunction in favor of singer Jubin Nautiyal, restraining multiple Artificial Intelligence platforms, online intermediaries, e-commerce websites and unidentified entities from misusing his name, voice, image and other attributes of his personality

MUMBAI - Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan visited singer Arijit Singh in Murshidabad, following Singh's announcement of retirement from playback singing. Khan personally pursued Singh to lend his voice for the title track of the upcoming film 'Ek Din'. On February 23,

MUMBAI: Super talented singer Hariharan has released his new album, ‘Jaan Meri’, marking five decades of ghazal mastery. The album has been penned by Farhat Shahzad. The album features soulful tracks such as ‘Baat Se Baat’, ‘Bas Mere Khwab’, ‘Chala

Photo: Devin Ramoutar (Left), Savitri Rampersad . (Right) By Dr. Kumar Mahabir and Shalima Mohammed Originating in Trinidad and Tobago, the steelpan remains the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the twentieth century. Forged from oil drums and shaped by the creativity

MUMBAI-Marking the 17th as her family’s “Musical Pooja Day,” Durga Jasraj fondly remembered her father, the legendary Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, and his endearing ritual of sipping coffee during concerts to keep his voice in pristine condition. Durga shared an

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk MUMBAI -Georgian figure skater Anastasiia Gubanova departed from traditional orchestral music during her routine at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, performing to a curated Bollywood mashup at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 8. The 23-year-old,

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk INGLEWOOD, CA - Rapper and hitmaker Badshah participated in the 2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. The event, held on February 13 at the Kia Forum here, saw the musician transition from a lifelong basketball enthusiast to an

India-West News Desk LA JOLLA, CA - The Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego (IFAASD) is set to host its 19th annual Music and Dance Festival from March 23 through 29, at the Jewish Community Center, here. This year’s event features

MUMBAI- Shreya Ghoshal, who continues to showcase the extraordinary range of Indian music with a lineup of recent releases spanning multiple languages, genres, and emotional landscapes, finds it “incredibly fulfilling” to be able to lend her voice to diverse narratives. Her

NEW DELHI - Singer Jasmine Sandlas paused her recent performance here after witnessing harassment of women within the crowd. Known for hit tracks like ‘Shararat’ and ‘Raat Jashan Di’, the artist stopped the show to firmly address the situation, making it

MUMBAI- Actor Adarsh Gourav says his understanding of Mumbai deepened through its hip-hop culture as he immersed himself in the city’s neighborhoods while preparing for his role in 'Tu Yaa Main'. Adarsh, who learnt Hindustani classical music for nine years, sahred

MUMBAI- Singer-composer Adnan Sami has taken a walk down memory lane, recalling how his iconic song ‘Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao’, starring Aditi Govitrikar, came into being in a matter of minutes. Sharing a picture of the piano on which he composed

MUMBAI -Renowned playback singer Kumar Sanu took a trip down memory lane as he revisited his iconic studio days from the 1990s. Kumar Sanu shared a video of himself giving an interview and speaking about lending his vocals for the title

MUMBAI Playback singer Papon, known for popular tracks such as ‘Bulleya’, ‘Jiyein Kyun’, and ‘Moh Moh Ke Dhaage’, has made his debut in Odia music with a new song titled ‘Kuni Kuni’. The romantic melody explores themes of love, longing,

India-West News Desk LINCOLN, CA — The acclaimed Indian composing trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has officially announced a limited run of U.S. performances for their "Kal Ho Na Ho" tour, scheduled for April 2026. These select appearances will bring the legendary group to two

MUMBAI- The new song ‘Ishq Ka Fever’ from the upcoming Shahid Kapoor-starrer ‘O’Romeo’ was unveiled on February 2. The song has been crooned by superstar singer Arijit Singh. This comes after the singer announced his retirement from playback singing. The soulful

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY- Vocalist Swetha Subramanian, who performs as Sweta, is developing a concert format that encourages audiences to pause and engage deeply with Indian film music. Drawing on her Carnatic training and South Indian musical upbringing, she

MUMBAI- Singer and composer Vishal Dadlani pointed out that Arijit Singh’s retirement from playback singing is proof that “Success doesn't guarantee peace.” Dadlani shared that one should make every single moment of life count and not lie to oneself. He further

KOLKATA- Renowned santoor maestro Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, who has been honored with the Padma Shri this year, reflected on his musical journey and personal life, sharing that he started learning the santoor at the age of four. He said that

ALWAR — Renowned Bhapang player Gafruddin Mewati Jogi of Alwar has devoted his life to preserving one of Rajasthan’s most ancient folk traditions, an achievement recently crowned with the Padma Shri. Originally from Kaithwada village in the Bharatpur district, now part

MUMBAI- Superstar singer Arijit Singh has shocked fans by announcing his retirement from playback singing. The singer, in a social media note, revealed that he will no longer take up any new assignments as a playback vocalist. He wrote, “Hello, Happy

MUMBAI -Actors Saiyami Kher and Gulshan Devaiah have joined hands once again as they feature in an upcoming soulful romantic music video titled ‘Aise Na Humko’, composed by celebrated lyricist-composer Swanand Kirkire. Sharing her excitement, Saiyami said she has always admired

MUMBAI- National Award-winning singer Nakash Aziz, who is known for tracks like 'Jabra Fan', the title track of Allu Arjun-starrer 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' and others, has said that the song 'Saree Ke Fall Sa' was recorded in 20 minutes. The

MUMBAI- Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar's recent post announcing a break from everything sparked rumors of her possible divorce from husband Rohanpreet Singh. However, now she has shared another social media post clearing the air around her marriage. Neha has urged not

India-West Staff Reporter LOMA LINDA, CA – The music community is rallying behind renowned tabla maestro Abhijit Banerjee following his recent diagnosis of glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. The celebrated musician and educator underwent emergency surgery this past

MUMBAI – Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman has found himself at the center of a controversy over his remarks of communal issues playing a role in him getting shut out of several Bollywood projects. He described hearing through what he called Chinese whispers that

CHANDIGARH- Punjabi singer B Praak has received a death threat from a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member, who reportedly demanded Rs 10 crore and threatened to kill him if the demand is not met, putting police on alert and setting up

NEW DELHI- The BJP on January 16 flatly rejected allegations made by Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman that work opportunities in the Hindi film industry have slowed for him in recent years due to shifting power dynamics and, possibly, what he

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Before becoming a global music icon, Thomas Wesley Pentz was an anthropology dropout exploring India on a second-hand motorcycle. In a recent retrospective, the 47-year-old producer detailed how a shoestring journey through the subcontinent at

India-West Staff Reporter MUMBAI - Ultra Play is commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of filmmaker Shakti Samanta with a dedicated festival throughout January, featuring 32 titles from his catalogue — many of them digitally restored for improved picture and sound. Samanta, whose

MUMBAI- ‘Made In India’ hitmaker Alisha Chinai took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as she shared a throwback picture from her younger days, calling it a phase of rebellion she still proudly relates to. “A Little Rebellion Every Now &

MUMBAI -Singer-songwriter Neha Bhasin and music producer Sameer Uddin opened up about their decision to not have children. During their appearance on a YouTube show, they revealed to host Rashami Desai that they never wished to have their own children. The

GUWAHATI- Garima Garg, wife of late Zubeen Garg, on January 2 announced the formation of a trust in the name of the cultural icon of Assam to preserve and carry forward his artistic, social and cultural legacy. This came even as

CHENNAI -Oscar winner and one of India’s finest music directors, A R Rahman, is set to make his acting debut in director Manoj N S’s upcoming film ‘Moonwalk’, which features Prabhudeva in the lead. The makers of the film, produced by

MUMBAI- Actress Vaani Kapoor, on the music scene with her video 'Aadat', has spoken about collaborating with the singer-rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh and AP Dhillon for the song. The pop-meets-rap banger showcases Vaani’s stylish entry into Yo Yo Honey Singh’s high-octane world, with

By Sandeep Khurana Devotion, it seems, is finding a new address. It may be a café, a college courtyard, a rooftop, or an open air venue glowing with soft lights and incense. The sound is familiar yet unexpected. Ancient bhajans rise over

India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - Former President Barack Obama’s year end culture list has given a global spotlight to Ganavya Doraiswamy, placing the artist at the center of one of music’s most watched endorsements. “As 2025 comes to a close,

MUMBAI -Singer-composer Leslee Lewis has revealed that he aims to revive the golden era of recording. Drawing inspiration from legends Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar, he has embraced the old-school approach of recording songs in one take. Leslee shared that his song

MUMBAI-Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer A. R. Rahman, who is set to join forces with the superstar director Michael Bay, has said that the fusion of different worlds of cinema opens up a beautiful space for music. Michael Bay is entering the Indian film industry

DALLAS, TX -Singer Benny Dayal and Dallas-based composer Ayaz Ismail have struck a chord with audiences with their latest track 'Chahe Jaan Le'. Asked about interpreting the emotional landscape of the track, Benny said the song fit perfectly into his repertoire. “Rhythm

MUMBAI- Singer and music composer Amaal Mallik has spoken candidly about dealing with controversies in the public eye, saying their impact has been felt more strongly by his family than by himself. IAmaal reflected on how he has evolved in responding

MUMBAI -Director Prahlad Kakkar has shared his views on music composer Vishal Dadlani’s sarcastic remarks regarding the discussion on 'Vande Mataram' in Parliament. Earlier, Vishal had criticized the parliamentary discourse, using irony to question why symbolic nationalism often dominates legislative attention

MUMBAI- Singer Malkit Singh, best known for his iconic tracks such as 'Tutak Tutak Tutiya' and 'Gur Nalo Ishq Mitha', has opened up about the growing divides he sees in today’s Punjabi music industry. Speaking about the shift in camaraderie among