With over six million views on his Arijit Singh cover of Kabhi Yaadon Mein, Digvijay Singh Pariyar has become a favourite among the country’s young music lovers. Known for his Sufi, and folk songs, this Mumbai-based playback singer now makes his way to the city, this weekend. Having been inspired by legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi, Digvijay plans to recreate their melodies in his debut gig, along with some of his hits.
A finalist of Dil Hai Hindustani, the popular Indian television reality show, Digvijay credits his musical journey to his mother who introduced him to various genres of music while growing up. “My mother would always play old Hindi melodies at home. She also encouraged me to participate in various music competitions in school,” says the 24-year-old. Apart from his mother, Digvijay says he’s highly influenced by artistes including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen.
Although his professional training came from Musoc, the music society of The Kirori Mal College in New Delhi, it was a singing competition conducted by a radio channel that brought him to Mumbai, where he met the renowned musician, Shankar Mahadevan. “That’s where it all began. I have been learning and meeting new people every day and the journey is still on,” he shares.
A trained classical singer, Digvijay’s songs are a mix of various genres including semi-classical, folk, Bollywood, jazz and classical. “I want to experiment and explore many other sub-divisions. Considering the number of genres we’re aware of, I believe one lifetime is not enough to experience music in its entirety,” states Digvijay, who sang Rock On 2’s Ishq Mastana and Banjare for Wedding Pullav. He has worked with popular names of the music industry including Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Pritam and Salim Sulaiman. “My biggest lesson is to be grounded, no matter what your achievements are. It was a life-changing experience working with them,” he sings off.
On June 9, 8 pm onwards. At Karma Bistro.