PlayBack Singer Female
Reena Bhardwaj is a British Indian singer, songwriter, and recording artist known for her versatile talent and collaborations with renowned musicians. Born and raised in London, Reena showed a strong inclination towards Indian arts, particularly music and dance, from a young age. She trained in the North Indian classical dance form Kathak and began performing on stage at the age of 9. As a teenager, her focus shifted to singing, and she captivated audiences with her effortless rendition of complex compositions.
While pursuing a professional career in Business Management and completing her Bachelor's and master's degrees from the London School of Economics, Reena continued to nurture her musical interests. It was during her master's degree that she received an unexpected call from her favorite Indian composer, A.R. Rahman, which marked a turning point in her musical career.
Reena's debut song, "Yeh Rishta," recorded with A.R. Rahman for the Bollywood film "Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities," propelled her to the top of the Indian music charts. She became the first British Asian artist to be nominated for a Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer and the MTV Immies Award for Best New Talent in 2004. She went on to collaborate with Rahman on various Bollywood and Tamil/Telugu film soundtracks, including "Mangal Pandey: The Rising," "Sakkarakatti," and "Raavan."
Another significant collaboration in Reena's career is with British Asian Composer/Producer Nitin Sawhney. She first gained recognition for her soulful rendition of the Indian poem "Heer" on Sawhney's album "Human" in 2003. She continued to work with Sawhney, co-writing songs and delivering memorable performances on his albums such as "Philtre" and "London Undersound." Reena has toured extensively with Sawhney and performed at prestigious venues like Glastonbury Festival, WOMAD, The Barbican Centre, and The Royal Albert Hall.
Reena Bhardwaj's talent extends beyond collaborations with Rahman and Sawhney. She has collaborated with Basement Jaxx, Trilok Gurtu, Talvin Singh, and Guy Chambers, showcasing her versatility in different genres and styles. Her songs have been featured on compilation CDs, including Ministry of Sound's "Angel Beach" and Sony Legacy's "The Best of AR Rahman."
With her rich and melodious voice, Reena Bhardwaj has made a significant impact on the Indian music scene and continues to enchant listeners with her diverse repertoire of Indian traditional, Bollywood, world, and popular music sung in multiple languages.