Two Padma Shri recipients meet at Parikh Worldwide Media’s ITV Gold Studios in New Jersey

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Padma Shri recipient Film and Sufi singer Kailash Kher met with Parikh Worldwide Media’s Chairman, Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, at the ITV Gold Studios (the Studio hereafter) in New Jersey October 8, 2024.

Both Parikh and Kher exchanged pleasantries and talked about Kher’s upcoming singing engagements. Kher also visited the offices of the Studio and met with the staff, including anchor Pia Kachroo who later interviewed him. In his interview with the Studios, Kher talked about his singing tour of the US, and about his personal journey, along with his music training and grooming initiative Kailaasha.

Located at 1655 Oak Tree Road in Edison, New Jersey, the 200-seat ITV Gold Studios has been providing a fully equipped state-of-the-art recording and performance space to the Indian American community, along with advanced technology support in various formats.

Kher is a well-known voice among Hindi film music listeners. His mix of high pitched and soft voice, Indian folk and Sufi singing has become his trademark, attracting varied audiences of all ages across the US too.

Inspired in his singing style by classical musicians Kumar Gandharva, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Bhimsen Joshi, and the Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kher is a recipient of two Filmfare awards for his singing and also of the Padma Shri award by the Government of India. Kher said he was fortunate to have a passion and a mission in his life.

Speaking about his current tour, Kailaasa USA Tour Bharatotsav 2024, Kher informed it is a concert celebrating India. To present India and its culture to the audiences is the aim of his present tour, Kher said. “….That even our erotic hides the spiritual, and references to God are hidden in our romantic songs, that some philosophy is there in our music,” Kher said. He said the tour was unique in that it will convey India’s culture, philosophy, roots and traditions through singing, thus connecting with the audiences. The band always brings live, original music, without any lip-synching, making it unique in that sense. (Listen to full interview at – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie_oORegMcs)

Kher said he had just finished a concert in Seattle on Ganesh Chaturthi, and one in Chicago. He said he was impressed with the time and money that Indian Americans spent on these concerts, which they also enjoyed thoroughly. The Chicago concert drew a large audience and he was expecting a similar large audience on the East Coast also, he said.

Kher performs on October 12^th at the Bengali Durga Puja concert in New Jersey. In Boston, Kher will be performing on October 13^th. On October 18^th, Kher’s concert will be held at the Palace Theater in Stanford, CT. In Manhattan, the Kailaasha concert will be on October 19^th.

Kher has also been preparing, training and grooming other singers from India and also from other countries at his own recording studio, his record company, and his academy.