Biography

Kiran Thakrar an Indian composer, producer and keyboard player and now  British Jury member of Eurovision song contest based in London has been working, living and breathing music over 35 years. He has got his own recording studio name Globalrootz.

His music has been heard on majorTV channels worldwide like BBC, Sky, ITV and many other for which he produced specially commissioned 'production music' album by Universal Production Music (formerly BMG Zomba) Programmes include Randy Jacksons presents America's Best Dance Crew, Eastenders, 'The Real Shilpa Shetty', 'Desi DNA', 'India Schools', ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’ and many more

He just composed and produced a moving original background score integrating Indian classical music with western classical music for a the film Diana which is being shown internationally in film festivals to name some New York and Milan film festivals and also has won prestigious international awards like Irish Jury Awards and Seattle Lesbian and Gay Festival

His latest collaboration and music arrangement in album name ‘Beyond Boundaries’ has been awarded by Canada’s highest JUNO awards (known as Canadian Grammy).

In 2008 he collaborate and co-composed Indian song with American RnB superstar Ginuwine and fused Indian music with Rnb. This track- name ‘Baby’ was No.2 on BBC Indie chart and no.7 on RnB chart in the first week of release and was nominated as a ‘Best Urban Act’ in UK ASIAN AWARDS 2009

He has performed in more than 4000 concerts worldwide and has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry like Late Ustad Nusrahat Fateh Ali Khan, Zakir Hussein, Sivamani, Ginuwine, James Asher, Bill Bailey, Kavita Krishnamurthi, Hariharan, Richa Sharma, Hans Raj Hans, Sadhna Sargam Bollywood music directors Nadeem Shravan, Ravindra Jain, and many more.

Currently Kiran is busy in producing forthcoming projects.

A strong interest in the musical technology led Kiran to explore the worlds of computers, programming and found this a great opportunity to pioneer fusions of Eastern and Western musical styles and this encouraged Kiran to further explore the creative fusing of modern technological processes, and the blending of broad global elements to evolve truly new musical genres. Kiran much enjoys the possibilities of creative manipulation offered by hard-disk recording in his studio.read an artic

Quotes

  • "Genius of the harmonium..... His approch to that instrument is unlike any other I’ve heard. He makes it sound limitless in what it can do". - Penguinn Eggs, Folk Roots and World music magazine  Click here to read an article 
  • "Notable great playing"- Peter Culshaw, Guardian UK   Click here to read an article 
  • "Asian fusion spices it up" - Meer Shah, Harrow Observer    Click here  to read an article 

Honors & Awards

Composed and produced a moving original background score integrating Indian classical music with western classical music for a the film Diana which is being shown internationally in film festivals to name some New York and Milan film festivals and also  has won prestigious international  awards like Irish Jury Awards and Seattle Lesbian and Gay Festival 
  
2011 - Co-arranged and performed  JUNO Best World Music Album – Aam Zameen: Common Ground - 

2008 - Collaborate and co-composed Indian song with American RnB superstar Ginuwine and fused Indian music with Rnb. This track- name ‘Baby’ was No.2 on BBC Indie chart and no.7 on RnB chart in the first week of release. Now it is nominated as a ‘Best Urban Act’ in UK ASIAN AWARDS 2009. 

2007 Co- arrange and performed JUNO nomination Best World Music Album, for the CD Wanderlust  
  
2005 - Composed, arranged and produced the album "A Voyage of Peace and Joy." One song went on to win fourth prize in an international song contest by Tascam for Best Production and Creativity. 

2004 -  Co-composed and performed in a Canadian Album; "Beyond Boundaries" it has been awarded 'Best World Music Album of the 2004' by Canada's highest JUNO Awards (known as the Canadian Grammy). 

2001 - Co-composed and performed in a Canadian Album, "Kashish" it has been nominated for Canada's highest JUNO Awards (known as the Canadian Grammy). 

2001 - Received an Award for 'Best Selling Album of 2001' for the Bollywood remix album "Love 2 Love 2001".  
 

A few of Kiran's respected and loved artists with whom he had a opportunity to work with:-

Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Zakir Hussain
Taufiq Quareshi
Ganesh Kumaresh
Pandit Hariprsad Chaurasiya
Sultankhan
Laxmishankar
Pandit Sharda Sahai
Pandit Ronu Mazumudar
Pandit Ramesh Mishra
Pandit Dinesh
Rakesh Chaurasia
Dipak Pandit
Devki Pandit
Chintoosingh
Sivamani
Rajendra Singh
Sanju Sahai
Anup Jalota
Zilakhan
 
Bill Bailey
Ginuwine
Rez Abbasi
Kiran Ahluwalia
Rich Brown
Babel Gilberto
James Asher
Masons Jennings
Kristi Stassinopoulou
Rokia Traore
Harry Manx
Chantal Vitalis(Anne Loree)
Wendy McNeil(Rambling roses)
Silk and Steel
B'Net Marrakech
Patty Larkin
Andrea Koziol
Lilison Di Kinara
Madagascar Slim
Ruh Afza Ensemble
Andy Rogers
Jeremy Darby
 
Ravindra Jain
Roopkumar Rathod / Sunali Rathod
Shaan
Nadeem Shrvan
Hariharan
Suresh Wadekar
Kavita Krishnamurthy
K.S Chithra
Mahalakshmi Ayer
Richa Sharma
Sweta & Shraddha Pandit
Runa Laila
Sadhna Sargam
Anuradha Paudwal
Vani Jayram
Talat Aziz
Kersi Lord
Franco Vaz
Basu da
Raju Singh
Channisingh (Allap)
Malkit Singh
Bali Bhrahambhatt
Hans Raj Hans
Shin (DCS)
Kumar Sanu
Shabbirkumar
Apache Indian