Sonu Nigam

Born in Faridabad in the Indian state of Haryana, Sonu Nigam rose to prominence in Indian playback singing from the 1990s after a childhood performing on stage with his father, training in Hindustani classical music under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, and moving to Mumbai at age 19. Sonu Nigam works mainly for Hindi and Kannada cinema while recording in many other Indian languages. His repertoire covers filmi ballads, pop, semi-classical styles, bhajan, ghazal, qawwali and more contemporary forms; he is known for a flexible, highly ornamented but clear vocal style. After early milestones such as “O Aasman Wale” for Aaja Meri Jaan (1993), he gained wider visibility in the late 1990s with “Sandese Aate Hai” and “Yeh Dil Deewana,” and with the pop album Deewana in 1999. The 2000s firmly established Sonu Nigam in the Indian musical landscape through film songs, non-film albums, international tours and television presence, notably as host of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Awarded the National Film Award for “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” he has also composed for films and developed a spiritual and non-film repertoire alongside his playback career.