RAGHAV

Raghav emerged as one of the U.K.’s most prominent Asian crossover acts through his distinctive blend of hip-hop, R&B, and Bollywood elements, which yielded a succession of charting singles. Born in Toronto in 1981 and brought up in Calgary by his Kayastha Uttar Pradesh Indian parents, he began performing at five after committing to memory a Hindi cassette that played repeatedly during family drives. Encouraged by his family, he performed Indian classical pieces both at the neighborhood temple and within his school choir. At sixteen he composed a song that earned a National Songwriters Association of America award, leading to scholarship offers from several American music institutions. He first journeyed to L.A. to train with vocal coach Seth Riggs, whose past students included Madonna and Michael Jackson, before relocating to Liverpool to enroll at the Institute of Performing Arts. There he became a member of the R&B outfit 11/7, which earned a nomination for Best Unsigned Act at the MOBO Awards. Accepting an offer for solo representation, he joined A&R Records and collaborated with Sly & Robbie as well as British producer Mushtaq.

During 2004 he teamed with 2Play for the singles “So Confused” and “It Can’t Be Right,” each of which entered the Top Ten. That same year he achieved solo success with “Can’t Get Enough,” which reached number ten, and “Let’s Work It Out,” which peaked at number fifteen, while issuing his debut album, Storyteller. In 2005 a fifth hit, “Angel Eyes,” climbed to number seven; he collected two trophies at the U.K. Asian Music Awards, a MOBO Award for Best Collaboration, and a Southern Asia Music Award, then appeared before sizable crowds in Bombay, Miami, and London. After ending his association with the label, he moved to Palestar Entertainment and Homepage Records. In 2008 he joined the Unforgettable Tour, an eighteen-country concert series showcasing Bollywood’s leading performers, and delivered his second album, Identity. Crafted with contributions from Cutfather & Joe, Niara Scarlett of Girls Aloud, and Jazzwad of Damian Marley, the record introduced the single “My Kinda Girl,” which featured Redman.