Kailash Kher is a playback singer and composer whose work is rooted in folk and Sufi styles. • Born in 1973, Kher was surrounded by music growing up—his father, Mehar Singh Kher, was a folk singer—and began singing at the age of four. • In his teenage years, Kher set out to realise his dreams of following in his father’s footsteps, taking music classes and becoming familiar with classical Indian singers like Pandit Kumar Gandharva. • Kher struggled to gain a foothold in the music industry for years. After he moved to Mumbai in 2001, he eventually found work as a jingle performer on television and radio adverts. • His big break finally arrived with a contribution to the soundtrack for 2003 romantic musical Andaaz. He went on to carve out a Bollywood career, his soulful vocals setting him apart. • Composer A. R. Rahman has described Kher’s voice as “pure soul” and called “Allah Ke Bande” one of his “all-time favourite songs”. • He continues to juggle Bollywood playback recordings with commercial work and international touring— from London’s Hammersmith Apollo to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.