Kailash Kher Biography
Born July 7, 1973 in Meerut on the outskirts of Delhi, to a family
with Kashmiri roots, Kher moved to New Delhi as a young child. Kher’s
father, a Hindu priest, was an amateur musician whose performances of
traditional folk songs were a regular household event. Even as a four
year old, Kher revealed a natural musical talent and he would often
impress friends and family by belting out songs with his prematurely
powerful voice. At the age of 14, Kher left home in search of a guru or
an institution to further his musical training, and he embarked on years
of classical and folk music study. Although he couldn’t find the right
guru or a school and he started learning Music by listening it. His
playlist then use to be Indian classical, Pandit Kumar Gandharv, Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Gokulotsav Maharaj and later even Nusrat Fetah Ali
Khan,Lata Mangeshkar and their contemporaries.
At first, his parents discouraged his dedication to music, and in
deference to their wishes Kher tried his hand at the export business.
Clearly, his passions lay elsewhere, as this endeavor proved a failure.
In 2001,Kher left New Delhi for Mumbai, the epicenter of India’s
highly competitive music industry, to seek his fortunes as a
professional singer. For a while, Kher struggled, living in cheap
residence, hostels and eking out whatever musical work he could find to
make ends meet. Kher’s first recording was on an advertising jingle for a
diamond company, for which he was paid Rs. 5000 (Equivalent to $100).
Soon after recording a handful of jingles, the raw, earthy and soulful
strength of his voice - often compared to the late qawwali maestro
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - caught the attention of every production
house and film composer in Mumbai.
His big break came with the song “Allah Ke Bande” from the movie Waisa
Bhi Hota Hai Part II. The song became more famous then the film itself,
and its success made him a household name. By 2004, Kher had been
catapulted into the national spotlight, and has since performed on over
three hundred and fifty Hindi film soundtracks, has sung in over
eighteen languages on a number of regional Indian films, not to mention
recording more than five hundred radio and television advertising
jingles.
Though the Bollywood playback world has proven rewarding, Kher finds
more personal satisfaction in the music he writes and records with
Naresh and Paresh Kamath, brothers and prominent members of his band
Kailasa. Fixtures on the Indian rock and pop scene. Combining Kher’s
strong traditional folk sensibilities and lyrics invoking mysticism,
with Naresh and Paresh’s more contemporary influences, Kailash Kher
& Kailasa released their first album, Kailasa, in 2006, which
resulted in the smash hits “Teri Deewani” and “Tauba Tauba.” This was
followed in 2007 by their second album Jhoomo Re, which was also a
critical and commercial success with Tracks as Saaiyan and Jhoomo re.
In 2008, Kher was invited to become a judge on the television series
Indian Idol, (India’s Most popular Music reality show and Indian version
of American Idol). With his bubbly spirit and an infectious, expansive
personality, Kher endeared himself to the Indian mainstream.
Kailash Kher and His Band Kailasa Has performed over 800 concerts in
the span of approximately eight years across the globe. He has not only
performed for the south east Asian diaspora but has also mesmerized the
international audiences in the festivals & Venues as GlobalFest at
Webster hall,New York’s Webster Hall, Stern Grove Festival (San
Francisco),Celebrate Brooklyn, Santa Monica Pier Festival (LA), Fillmore
Centre (San Francisco),Hollywood Bowl (LA),Apollo Hemmersmith
London,Symphony Hall (Birmingham) Messy Centre,(Toronto) where Kher’s
true artistry was on display.
2009 Kailash Kher & Kailasa released their third album
Kailasa Chaandan Mein,
its popularity has proved that Kailash has mastered the art of making
hits. This Hattrik Hit got him his first international album on the
acclaimed independent record label Cumbancha.
Kailash’s Gaining popularity has today made him one of the busiest
Music artists for his unmatched live performance and stage wit. All
Major television channels has roped in Kailash Kher on Various shows
including Saregamapa Lil Champs (zee),Mission Ustaad (9X),Indian Idol
(Sony),IPL Rockstar (Colors).Rock 0n (MTV)
Never ones to rest on their laurels, 2012 saw the release of their
fourth album “Kailasa Rangeele” The time has come for the world to
discover a voice that millions of Indians already consider one of the
greatest in music today.
http://www.kailashkher.com
