Harshdeep Kaur, Singer
Harshdeep Kaur is an Indian playback singer known for her soulful Sufi singing. She garnered recognition worldwide for her rendition of Ik On’kār in the 2006-released super hit Hindi movie Rang De Basanti, under the music direction of AR Rahman. More recently, Harshdeep won acclaims for her song Katiya Karun from the Bollywood film Rockstar. She recently recorded the spiritual album Ik On’kār, in which she has recited the Japji Sahib. The album will be released by soon-to-be launched independent music label Asli Music, founded by National Award-winning sound engineer, music composer and producer KJ Singh.
Music came as a legacy to Harshdeep from her father Savinder Singh Sohal, who owns a musical instruments factory named House of Music. Harshdeep says, “Music is like oxygen to me. The more I inhale it, the more I feel alive”. After being mentored by her father in early childhood, she went on to acquire professional training in Indian classical music from Sri Tejpal Singh. In an endeavor to increase her exposure to music, Harshdeep also acquired Western classical music training from George Pullinkala of Delhi Music Theatre and later got trained in piano from Delhi School of Music.
Harshdeep recorded her first solo album Romantica at the tender age of 14, when she won the MTV Video Gaga Contest. During the same time, she also recorded a playback song titled Sajna Main Haari for the film Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai. Following this, Harshdeep has had worked with some of the most renowned composers and music directors of the country, including AR Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar, Amit Trivedi, Salim-Suleiman, Nikhil-Vinay, Himesh Reshammiya, Sukhwinder Singh and many more.
Harshdeep has also sung for Hollywood. She recorded the song R.I.P. for Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle’s film 127 Hours, under the music direction of AR Rahman. The song was nominated for the Oscars and Golden Globe Awards in 2010.
She was also part of AR Rahman’s Jai Ho World Tour, where she got the opportunity to perform live for global audiences.
Harshdeep won the music reality show called Junoon Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka in 2008, on NDTV Imagine, where she was titled the Sufi Ki Sultana by Amitabh Bachchan. Harshdeep was one of the first Indian artists who featured in Coke Studio India in 2011. She was also conferred with the IMA Award for the Best Folk Singer for her song Aj Di Dihari in 2011 and Best Female Singer award at BIG FM Punjabi Rising Star Award-2011.
