The_Raghu_Dixit_Project

Raghu Dixit

Raghu Dixit

Indian singer, composer, and producer


Raghupati Dwarakanath Dixit (born 11 November 1974)[1] is an Indian singer-composer, producer, and film score composer who is the frontman for the Raghu Dixit Project, a multilingual folk music band. Dixit prominantly works in Kannada cinema as soundtrack composer.

Quick Facts Background information, Birth name ...
Raghu Dixit as photographed in an audio release for the band Nee

Dixit's music is an amalgamation of Indian ethnic music and styles from different parts of the world.[2] His songs include "Mysore se aayi," "Jag Changa," "Antaragni," "Hey Bhagwan," "Har Saans Mein," "Gudugudiya," and "Khidki." Dixit has produced music for contemporary dance and theatre productions including the Indian contemporary dance group Nritarutya, of which, his wife, Mayuri Upadhya, is the artistic director.[3]

Music

Dixit's self-titled debut album was launched by the music director duo Vishal–Shekhar on their new independent record label Vishal & Shekhar Music which collaborated with Counter Culture Records for this release. Raghu Dixit was the first artist on this new label. The album was also released on world music label Wrasse Records and Sony/ATV on 20 September 2010. The album reached No. 1 on the iTunes World Music charts in the UK.[4] The title music for the show Splitsvilla was also composed and sung by Raghu Dixit. In the season one finale of The Dewarists, the Raghu Dixit Project collaborated with songwriter Rewben Mashangva on the song "Masti Ki Basti".

Collaborating with artists Dixit met during his previous concerts in the UK, the Raghu Dixit Project released their second studio album, Jag Changa. The album released on 23 November 2013. The album consists of eight tracks,[5][6] in Kannada, Hindi and Tamil languages. In an interview with Vishnupriya Bhandaram of The Hindu, he mentions, "Every 200 kilometres in this country, languages change, the dialects change and the food changes, lives and lifestyles change and my music is unique and probably the USP is that it's sung in a vernacular tongue… its adds mystery."[7]

Films

In 2008, he debuted as a music director in the Kannada film industry with Psycho.[8] He also composed and sang a song in the Bollywood movie Quick Gun Murugan. His new Kannada films, Just Math Mathalli and Kote, released soundtracks which were a big hit with audiences.[citation needed]

Dixit made his Bollywood debut with the film Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge in 2011.[9] In 2013 he debuted in Malayalam recording with Bijibal for North 24 Kaatham.

Concerts

Raghu Dixit on stage at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 29 August 2016

Dixit has played many shows all over the world including in the United States, the UK, Korea, Japan, Russia, Hong Kong and India. He has performed at many music and cultural festivals, including Anwesha at IIT Patna, Alcheringa at IIT Guwahati, Incident at NITK-Surathkal, Aarohi at VNIT Nagpur, FIESTA at Infosys, the Glastonbury Festival,[10] Mood Indigo, Jayciana at SJCE, Dhwani at College of Engineering Trivandrum,[11] Spring Fest at IIT Kharagpur,[12][non-primary source needed] MANZAR at Institute of Chemical Technology,[13] the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, at the Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi and at MVJ College of Engineering in Bangalore.

In 2010, he appeared on BBC TV's Later... with Jools Holland which led to one of his songs becoming an instant download hit, and since then he has made several appearances at festivals in the UK and in Europe. In the early months of 2011, he gave a concert as part of London South Bank's 'Alchemy' Festival. He also visited the Andrew Marr Show to perform "Waiting for a Miracle" for a Raghu Dixit Session on BBC Radio 3.[10][14]

In April 2012, he performed for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, at a Diamond Jubilee Pageant marking 60 years since her accession to the throne in 1952.[15]

Recently he performed at Bangalore Times concert[16]

Discography

As composer

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As playback singer

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Filmography

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
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Award

  • Dixit was awarded "Best Newcomer" at the 2011 Songlines Music Awards.[21]
  • Favorite Singer Award at the 2008 SFM Kalaa Awards[22]
  • Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards[23]
  • Best Live Performer – GIMA Music Awards 2014[24]

References

  1. Dixit, Raghu (19 March 2016). Weekend with Ramesh Season 2 – Episode 25 – March 19, 2016 – Full Episode (in Kannada). Zee Kannada. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  2. "Raghu Dixit interview in Kannada | Vishva Kannada". vishvakannada.com. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. "Naache Mayuri". The Hindu. 12 January 2012. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. "Raghu Dixit Album Hits No. 1 on iTunes, Amazon World Music Charts". Indiecision. Nh7.in. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  5. "Jag Changa". iTunes Store. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  6. "Jag Change". Songdew. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  7. Bhandaram, Vishnupriya (28 March 2012). "Music knows no language". Hyderabad, India. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  8. "'Psycho' – a unique thought". IndiaGlitz. 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  9. "Yash Raj Films' new banner to launch seven actors in 3 movies". Business of Cinema. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  10. "Let the revelry begin…". The Hindu. 6 March 2013.
  11. "The Fusion Night". Mansarict. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  12. "Raghu Dixit to perform live on Bangalore Times concert". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  13. "ZEE5 launches its third Telugu original –B.Tech on Nov 15". MediaNews4U. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  14. "Started enjoying as soon as I got on the set: Raghu on acting debut". Hindustan Times. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  15. "Culture Diary: Raghu Dixit Awarded". The Indian Express. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  16. "Raghu Dixit, Nandita win at SFM Kalaa Awards". Radio and Music. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  17. Raghu Dixit gets Wizcraft honour for Best LIVE Performer, the Global Indian Music Academy, 20 January 2014

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