Manika Kaur
Manika Kaur | |
|---|---|
| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Religious; Kirtan |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter and philanthropist |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Shemaroo Entertainment, Invincible Recording, United Sound Recordings and Suriya Recordings |
| Website | www |
Manika Kaur is a devotional singer, songwriter, and philanthropist from Melbourne, Australia.
Early life[edit]
Kaur was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and her parents were active members of the Sikh community.[1] In 2006 she married and moved to Dubai.[2]
Career[edit]
In 2012 Kaur released a music video for the song “Guru Ram Das Rakho Sarnaee”, telling the life story of Guru Ram Das through shadow puppets. The video has over 4.6 million views on YouTube.[3][4]
Bandhanaa (re-released as Satnam Waheguru)[edit]
Kaur's debut album, Bandhanaa, was released in 2013 by Shemaroo Entertainment. The album was produced by Sukhbir Singh.[5] In 2014, the album was re-mixed and re-released as Satanam Waheguru by Invincible Recordings.[6]
I Bow To You Waheguru[edit]
In 2015, Kaur's second album was released by United Sound Recordings through Proper Music Distribution. Its title track, "I Bow to You Waheguru", was produced by Talvin Singh.[7]
The album features collaborations with Rakesh Chaurasia, Jyotsna Srikanth,[8] Soumik Datta, Bernhard Schimpelsberger,[9] and Reiner Erlings. She performed material from the album on the Sikh Channel, BBC London, and ABC Australia TV.
Sacred Words[edit]
Kaur's third album, Sacred Words, was released in 2018 on Martin ‘Youth’ Glover's label Suriya Recordings[10] and was released in the US on imprint label partner Six Degrees Records. It features collaborations with Scottish folk musician James Yorkston, Jyotsna Srikanth (violin), and Tunde Jegede.[11][12]
Discography[edit]
| Year | Album or non-album single | Featured artist(s) | Composer(s) | Label |
| 2013 | Bandhanaa | Shemaroo Entertainment | ||
| 2014 | Satanam Waheguru | Invincible Recording | ||
| 2015 | I Bow To You Waheguru | Rakesh Chaurasia, Jyotsna Srikanth, Soumik Datta, Bernhard Schimpelsberger, and Reiner Erlings | Talvin Singh | United Sound Recordings |
| 2018 | "Aval Allah" (single) | feat. James Yorkston | Manika Music | |
| 2018 | Sacred Words | James Yorkston, Jyotsna Srikanth (violin), and Tunde Jegede | Talvin Singh, Tigerstyle, and Oskar Vizan | Suriya Recordings |
| 2018 | "Tu Sultan" (single) | feat. James Yorkston | Manika Music |
Philanthropy[edit]
Through her foundation Kirtan for Causes, Kaur raises awareness for issues such as equality, global access to feminine hygiene products, and education of females of all ages around the world.[13]
Her foundation currently supports the education of 100 programme participants[14] and supports the education of over 200 children.[15] Kaur raised over one million dirhams (approx. £210,000) through her first album, which she donated to finance a new Gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Dubai.[16] All of the revenue from Kaur's work go to support her charity.[5]
Awards[edit]
Kaur won the 2016 Sikh Award[17] for Sikhs in Entertainment[18] and placed sacred Sikh vocal music and Kirtan in the World Music Charts Europe for the first time,[19] amassing over 10,000,000 views on YouTube.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ "Manika Kaur: Singing for a Cause", Hindustan Times
- ^ "Sikh YouTube star Manika Kaur", Invincible Music
- ^ "Guru Ram Das". YouTube. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "New Age Artist Manika Kaur's "Mool Mantra" Makes for a Clear". Pop Matters.
- ^ a b "Manika Kaur: Sacred Words", Six Degree Records
- ^ "Asian Kirtan Star Manika Kaur Releases Satnam Waheguru", Invincible Music
- ^ "Manika Kaur's Sense of Peace" World Music Central
- ^ "Gentle voice, powerful spirit" Urban Asian
- ^ "Manika Kaur: I Bow to You Waheguru" Noise Bliss
- ^ a b "Manika Kaur releases Sacred Words Album" Broadway World
- ^ "Music Preview: Manika Kaur soothes the soul with Sacred Words" Thrive Global
- ^ "Manika Kaur Announces New Album SACRED WORDS Due 5/11 via Sriya Recordings" Broadway World
- ^ "Music Preview: Manika Kaur releases sublime silky smooth Sacred Words" CelebMix
- ^ "Kirtan brings a sense of peace" Just Say It How It Is
- ^ "Manika Kaur is using music as a source for good" iSing Magazine
- ^ "Manika Kaur" Zee Companion
- ^ "Winners 2016 List" The Sikh Awards
- ^ "Sikh Awards in London honour global Sikh diaspora" India GB News
- ^ Her hymns build lives" Times of India