5 South Asian Artists Who Deserve More Attention
Natalie Gandhi
RITVIZ
Vishal ‘Ritviz’ Srivastava is an Indian singer, songwriter and record producer from Pune. He gained recognition in 2017 with his breakout hit "Udd Gaye," which has since amassed millions of views on YouTube. Ritviz's music is unique in its fusion of traditional Indian folk sounds and melodies with modern electronic beats. He draws inspiration from folk and classical music, making use of elements like the tabla and mixing them into electronic compositions. The resulting sound is both fresh and familiar, and has earned him a dedicated fanbase in India and beyond. His vocals and lyrics, which range from classical Hindi to rap, draw on themes of love and nostalgia. More recently, his song Sage was featured in Ms. Marvel, but my personal favourites from his collection are Raahi, Chalo Chalein, and Thandi Hawa.
ULIYA AKA DADDYPRINCESS
DaddyPrincess is a non-binary queer/gay musician of Indian descent. They grew up in Cincinnati Ohio and spent their 20s half in the Bay Area and half in NYC, but it was in Houston where they were able to more fully build a creative community and flourish. They have been creating music professionally since 2013 under the name Uliya, but recently changed this to DaddyPrincess in an effort to start fresh and be more authentic and provocative as an artist. Through their minimal, textural pop music - that is equal parts euphoric, sensual, and melancholic - they aim to be intentionally subversive, while also providing comfort and joy, particularly to the queer and trans BIPOC community. They want to challenge traditional gender and cultural norms while championing the hybridity that is inherent to who they are. Recently, Uliya received an email from a South Asian person who felt proud of their openness and music performances. They said, “it was an affirmation for why I do what I do”. Their music can be found on Spotify; my personal favourites are ‘Breathe me in’ and ‘Bless my journey’. You can learn more about Uliya AKA DaddyPrincess on their website www.daddyprincess.gay.
SHREEA KAUL
Shreea was born in India and immigrated to the States at the age of seven. Though always interested in music and songwriting, she faced obstacles in pursuing her passion due to her cultural background. Creative pursuits were often discouraged, and it wasn't until college that she was able to focus on music again. Drawing inspiration from her cultural roots, she wanted to venture into R&B, feeling that it provided the best space for her to add her own unique sound. A self-proclaimed Bollywood and culture junkie, Shreea has always known that she would incorporate these features into her music. Her previous projects have hints of Hindi and classical Indian sounds. Recently, Shreea teamed up with another artist, Rehma, to release the song "Ladke," which explores the challenges grown women face in balancing adult responsibilities and the male archetypes present in hook-up culture. The track is available on Spotify and is sure to become a favourite.
IRFANA & TASLINA
Ko-Lab' is a passion-project created by childhood friends Irfana and Taslina. 'Ko-Lab' stands for Kodaikanal Laboratory, symbolizing the way the project was conceptualised and actualised in Kodaikanal, the home-town of these two artists. Both the artists are based in India and are childhood friends. Irfana is a Rapper and a Song-writer, and Taslina is a producer, singer, and rapper.
Their work is a mix of underground hip-hop and trap sounds, gospel music, and lyrics that explore political theory, spirituality, and life as a young blood in current India. Together they have released four tracks. “Zig Zag” comes through as a more playful bop, which includes a verse written by Taslina. Irfana says, “That was super special because it was the first time she put her voice out there and she’s got the most beautiful voice.” While “Program” and “MOB” features Kerala producer Kalla Sha, they ramp up the collaborative part of the EP on “Gospel,” featuring Bengaluru-based producer/artist Doc Awes aka Amrith Raghunathan (from neo-soul group T.ill APES) and another school friend turned musician – Indian-origin Dutch singer RANI aka Pooja Prakash Raj. Irfana says they didn’t necessarily plan on having guests but people hopped on when it felt right, creating what she calls “a perfect combination of artists for an EP as versatile as Ko-Lab.” Their 4 tracks can be found on Spotify and Apple.
WHEN CHAI MET TOAST
Originally formed in Kerala, When Chai Met Toast is an indie-folk band known for their lighthearted, catchy sound which incorporates English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. The four member band gained popularity for their simple and optimistic approach to emotions, relationships and life in general. Their first track Firefly created a lot of buzz in India, and they have since developed many other tracks, including the theme for for comedian Kenny Sebastian’s 2018 web series Die Trying. In August 2021, their music was featured in the trailer of Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming Bollywood film Jee Le Zara. During the pandemic, they focused on creating new music and now plan to embark on a tour. Their London concert sold out within three hours, a testament to their growing popularity around the world. Check out their various singles on Apple and Spotify.
