Arijit Singh

Arijit Singh
Monit2004 · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Arijit Singh
Birth date	1987-04-25
Birth place	Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India
Occupation	Playback singer, music producer, composer
Years active	2005–present
Genres	Filmi, Pop, Ghazal, Classical, Sufi
Instruments	Vocals, harmonium, piano
Labels	T-Series, Sony Music India, Zee Music Company

Arijit Singh is an Indian playback singer, composer and music producer noted for his work in Hindi, Bengali and regional film industries. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s with a string of commercially successful songs that established him as a leading voice in Bollywood, regional cinema and independent music. Singh has collaborated with major composers and film producers across Mumbai, Kolkata and international stages, earning numerous awards and popular acclaim.

Early life and background

Born in Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal, Singh grew up in a musical milieu influenced by Bengali cultural traditions, Rabindra Sangeet and Hindustani classical music. His family environment connected him to regional institutions such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and local music schools in Kolkata and Murshidabad, while his formative years included exposure to artists linked with the Kolkata film industry and cultural festivals like Dover Lane Music Conference. Early encounters with recordings of Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Jagjit Singh, and Asha Bhosle informed his aesthetic alongside visits to venues associated with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak retrospectives.

Musical training and influences

Singh received formal training in tabla and classical vocals under teachers connected to the Patiala Gharana and Kirana Gharana traditions, studying techniques used by maestros featured in archives at the Sangeet Natak Akademi and All India Radio. His stylistic development shows influence from playback singers whose careers intersected with studios such as HMV and the Bombay Talkies era, and from composers associated with the Kolkata film movement and Bollywood such as R.D. Burman, A.R. Rahman, Pritam, and Anu Malik. He cites inspiration from ghazal interpreters and Sufi performers linked to the Festival of India tours and to institutions like the Shankar Mahadevan Academy.

Career beginnings and breakthrough

Singh first entered public view via reality television and competition formats that featured participants also from shows tied to Zee TV, Star Plus and Sony Entertainment, propelling contestants into studios affiliated with T-Series and Sony Music India. Early studio sessions placed him in collaboration with music directors working across Mumbai and Kolkata productions, where his recordings were used in films produced by Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, and Balaji Telefilms. His breakthrough came when songs he recorded for major Bollywood soundtracks climbed charts monitored by Radio Mirchi and other broadcasters, establishing him alongside contemporaries who had worked with composers linked to Bollywood revival projects and cross-border collaborations.

Major works and filmography

Singh's repertoire includes songs featured in films produced by companies such as Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, and Eros International. Notable tracks are associated with composers like Pritam, A.R. Rahman, Amit Trivedi, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, and Vishal–Shekhar, and appear in soundtracks of films distributed through networks including Fox Star Studios and UTV Motion Pictures. His filmography spans Hindi cinema, Bengali cinema and regional projects coordinated with production houses like Rajshri Productions, Balaji Motion Pictures, and Red Chillies Entertainment, and includes collaborations on albums released by labels such as T-Series and Zee Music Company. He has also contributed to independent albums and singles produced in studios connected to Mumbai's Bandra scene and Kolkata's Park Street music venues.

Live performances and tours

Singh has performed at major venues and festivals linked to international promoters and cultural institutions, including concerts associated with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, performances in arenas used by touring artists on circuits that include the Royal Albert Hall-style venues and Dubai Opera-type stages, and festivals curated by entities like NH7 Weekender and Coke Studio franchise events. He has headlined tours organized by promoters operating in North America, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Singapore, often appearing alongside musicians who have worked with orchestras and ensembles associated with state cultural departments and metropolitan concert halls.

Style, voice and critical reception

Critics and musicologists have described his baritone-tenor range as adaptable across genres from filmi ballads to ghazal-inflected numbers and Sufi-inspired tracks, comparing aspects of his phrasing to singers associated with Bollywood's golden era and contemporary fusion artists who collaborated with institutions like the Sangeet Research Academy. Reviews in major publications have examined his interpretive approach in songs produced by composers such as Pritam and A.R. Rahman, and his vocal techniques have been discussed in the context of recording practices at studios used by composers linked to the Mumbai and Kolkata film industries. Scholarly commentary has placed his work within trends observed in South Asian popular music studies and ethnomusicology departments.

Awards and honours

Singh has received awards from organizations and ceremonies affiliated with Filmfare, National Film Award juries, IIFA, Screen Awards, Mirchi Music Awards and state-level cultural awards from West Bengal and Maharashtra. Honors include recognitions presented at events organized by bodies like the Film Federation of India, guilds associated with Indian cinema, and international music festivals where awards are adjudicated by panels including figures from Bollywood and world music communities.

Category:Indian playback singers Category:Living people Category:1987 births