The queen of Sufi

Harshdeep Kaur, first came into limelight for her soulful devotional singing, which earned her the title of “Sufi Queen in India” as publicly stated by Amitabh Bachchan. She sings in Hindi, Punjabi, English, and Urdu.

Born on December 16, 1986, Harshdeep inherited her love for Sufi courtesy her Sikh lineage through her father, Savinder Singh who owns a factory of musical instruments. She started learning music at the age of six and learnt Indian classical music from Tejpal Singh, popularly known as the Singh Brothers, and Western classical music from George Pullinkala, Delhi Music Theatre. At the age of twelve, she joined the Delhi School of Music and learnt to play the piano.

“Katiya Karun” from ‘Rockstar’, “Heer” from ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, “Ik Onkar” from ‘Rang De Basanti’, “Zaalima” from ‘Raees’, “Kabira” from ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ among others are some of her superhit songs that she sung for films.

She featured in all three seasons of MTV Coke Studio and headlined prestigious festivals such as Southbank Centre Music Festival in the UK, Mosaic Festival in Canada and Manchester International Festival in the UK and for AR Rahman's Journey Home World Tour & Infinite Love World Tour.

Kaur is the first woman to win four reality show titles including NDTV’s Imagine ‘Sufi Ki Sultana’, SAB TV’s ‘JhoomeinGaayein’, Alpha TV’s ‘SAREGAMA Punjabi’ and MTV Video GAGA and it secured her position as a lead singer in Bollywood soundtracks.

Excerpts:

How did it all start for you?
My sister and I used to watch the movie ‘Sound of Music’ a lot and we used to sing “Do Re Mi”. I was singing one day and my father discovered my talent, and encouraged me.

From a music reality winner to Bollywood singer,

how has the journey been so far?
It has been a great journey. It was my childhood dream to become a playback singer and today I have sung for more than 200 films and worked with almost all the big names in the industry. On the other hand, reality shows/ TV appearances make you a popular face. Being on a reality show makes you work harder and you work on improving your skills. I got to learn so much.

Which is your favourite song that you have sung?
That's a tough question. All my songs are very close to me. But “Heer” from ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ is special (smiles).

How easy or hard is it for an aspiring singer to venture into Bollywood?
Talent and hard work play the most important role. But sometimes luck does matter. You need to make the most of the opportunities that come on your path. Also, being unique helps a lot. You should be the best in what you do.

For how long do you practice in a day?
There is no fixed time or duration. There's a musical atmosphere at home all the time. Sometimes I do riyaz in the afternoon with my taanpura and harmonium and sometimes late at night accompanying myself on my piano.

Do you get nervous before performing in an event?
Yes. It's sometimes natural to get nervous before performing on big platforms. But once the microphone is in your hand and the audience claps for you, you feel a divine energy and then you just sing your heart out (smiles).

Your fondest memory of any event?
Recently, I performed at the Manchester International Festival. It was a very prestigious concert for me. I cannot describe the amount of love I received from the audience. People were singing along and dancing in the aisles. It was another high!

You have collaborated with many musicians, which one is your favourite?
Musicians are very creative people. Many of them have a great sense of humour too! I enjoy working with most of them. I love working with Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar, Shankar Ehsaan and Loy, Salim-Sulaiman, and AR Rahman sir. My Coke studio sessions with Amit Trivedi have been a great experience too.

Singing cover songs is the latest fad. What do you think about it?
Old melodies are evergreen. I don't think there's any harm in recreating or singing old music as long as it's done tastefully.

Do you think YouTube is giving the much-needed platform for budding singers in comparison with music reality shows?
YouTube is for anybody and everybody. Sometimes you don't have the resources to release an album or be part of a reality show. That's when YouTube helps and if you're really good, your song can go viral too (smiles).

Who is your favourite YouTube singer and why?
I personally love Jonita Gandhi. She is genuinely very talented and her voice is pure.

What are your future projects?
I've recorded my original music, which will be out on my YouTube channel soon. I have also sung a quirky song called “Twist Kamariya” for ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’.