Manika Kaur
BornMelbourne, Australia
GenresReligious; Kirtan
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter and philanthropist
Years active2012–present
LabelsShemaroo Entertainment, Invincible Recording, United Sound Recordings and Suriya Recordings
Websitewww.manikakaur.com

Manika Kaur is a devotional singer, songwriter, and philanthropist from Melbourne, Australia.

Early life

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

  1. ↑ "Manika Kaur: Singing for a Cause", Hindustan Times
  2. ↑ "Sikh YouTube star Manika Kaur", Invincible Music
  3. ↑ "Guru Ram Das". YouTube. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "New Age Artist Manika Kaur's "Mool Mantra" Makes for a Clear". Pop Matters.
  5. 1 2 "Manika Kaur: Sacred Words", Six Degree Records
  6. ↑ "Asian Kirtan Star Manika Kaur Releases Satnam Waheguru", Invincible Music
  7. ↑ "Manika Kaur's Sense of Peace" World Music Central
  8. ↑ "Gentle voice, powerful spirit" Urban Asian
  9. ↑ "Manika Kaur: I Bow to You Waheguru" Noise Bliss
  10. 1 2 "Manika Kaur releases Sacred Words Album" Broadway World
  11. ↑ "Music Preview: Manika Kaur soothes the soul with Sacred Words" Thrive Global
  12. ↑ "Manika Kaur Announces New Album SACRED WORDS Due 5/11 via Sriya Recordings" Broadway World
  13. ↑ "Music Preview: Manika Kaur releases sublime silky smooth Sacred Words" CelebMix
  14. ↑ "Kirtan brings a sense of peace" Just Say It How It Is
  15. ↑ "Manika Kaur is using music as a source for good" iSing Magazine
  16. ↑ "Manika Kaur" Zee Companion
  17. ↑ "Winners 2016 List" The Sikh Awards
  18. ↑ "Sikh Awards in London honour global Sikh diaspora" India GB News
  19. ↑ Her hymns build lives" Times of India
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