Raghav Mathur, "Raghav" Interview
Raghav Mathur, known professionally as “Raghav”, is an Alberta-raised Canadian singer/songwriter who achieved massive success in the UK as an Asian crossover artist. Born in Toronto to Hindu parents from India, Raghav grew up in Calgary and Fort McMurray, Alberta. He started singing at the age of five after memorizing a Hindi cassette tape that was on constant rotation in the family car. At sixteen years old, he won an award from the National Songwriters Association of America and traveled to Los Angeles to train with vocal coach Seth Riggs, who had worked with Madonna and Michael Jackson. After moving to England to study at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Raghav joined the British R&B group, 11/7, and was soon offered a solo record deal. In 2004, he released his debut album, Storyteller, which sold 1.6 million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth biggest selling album of all time in India. Described as one of Canada’s best-kept secrets in pop music, his sound is a unique fusion of hip-hop, R&B, and Bollywood, and has earned him a loyal fan base in the UK, Middle East, and India.
Career Highlights
Raghav has released three studio albums: Storyteller (2004), Identity (2009), and The Phoenix (2012). His most popular commercial success was with the song, "Angel Eyes", which peaked at number 7 in the UK in 2005.
He has toured all over the world, performing at sold-out shows in Bombay, Karachi, Delhi, Detroit, Miami, New York, Manchester, and London, to name a few.
In 2012, Raghav recorded one of the biggest Bollywood songs of all time with legendary Oscar and Grammy-winning producer, A.R. Rahman. The song titled “Ishq Shava” has over 20 million hits on YouTube, and appeared in the Bollywood blockbuster Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
He has collaborated with artists such as 2Play, Redman, Nelly, Afrojack, and Kardinal Offishall, and worked with prominent producers Mushtaq, Incognito, Sly & Robbie, and Peter Wade.
In 2004, Raghav won an Asian Achievers Award and a MOBO Award. He won an Urban Music Award, a UK Asian Music Award, and a Southern Asian Music Award in 2005.
He was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2011 for “R&B/Soul Recording of the Year”, a Canadian Radio Music Award in 2012, “Single of the Year” at the Canadian Indie Awards in 2012, and “Recording of the Year” at the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) in 2013.
Source:
http://www.raghav.com
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/raghav-mn0000319388/biography