Raghav

With his unique fusion of hip-hop, R&B, and Bollywood, the multi-talented Raghav became one of the biggest Asian crossover artists in the U.K., with a string of hit singles. Born in Toronto in 1981 and raised in Calgary by his Kayastha Uttar Pradesh Indian parents, Raghav started singing at the age of five after memorizing a Hindi tape that was on constant rotation in the family car. With the support of his parents, he began singing Indian classical music at the local temple and in his school choir. A song he wrote at age 16 was deemed worthy of a National Songwriters Association of America award, and he soon received scholarships from music schools across the U.S. After traveling to L.A. to work with vocal coach Seth Riggs, who had trained Madonna and Michael Jackson, he moved to Liverpool, where he studied at the Institute of Performing Arts. While there, he joined the R&B group 11/7, who went on to receive a nomination for Best Unsigned Act at the MOBO Awards. After being offered a solo management deal, he signed to A&R Records, where he worked with Sly & Robbie and British producer Mushtaq.

In 2004, he collaborated with 2Play on the singles "So Confused" and "It Can't Be Right," both of which reached the Top Ten. In the same year, he scored solo hit singles with "Can't Get Enough" (number ten) and "Let's Work It Out" (number 15), and released his debut album, Storyteller. In 2005, after a fifth hit single, "Angel Eyes" (number seven), he picked up two gongs at the U.K. Asian Music Awards, a MOBO Award for Best Collaboration, and a Southern Asia Music Award, and performed in front of large audiences in places as diverse as Bombay, Miami, and London. After parting company with his label, he signed to Palestar Entertainment and Homepage Records. In 2008, he embarked on the Unforgettable Tour, an 18-country series of stage shows featuring Bollywood's biggest stars, and returned with his second album, Identity. Written and produced by the likes of Cutfather & Joe, Niara Scarlett (Girls Aloud), and Jazzwad (Damian Marley), it featured the lead single "My Kinda Girl," a collaboration with Redman. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi