Biography

Kiran Thakrar is a London UK-based composer, music producer, and keyboard player & pianist with over 40 years of experience across composition, production, and live performance.

He is the founder of the recording studio Globalrootz and has created commissioned works for BMG Zomba, Universal Production Music, Sony EMI and BBC with music featured on Randy Jackson's America's s Best Dance Crew, Eastenders, BBC, ITV, Sky, and other major international broadcasters.

His work includes the film Diana, where he served as composer, music arranger, and music producer. The score has been showcased at international film festivals including New York and Milan, and has received multiple international awards and recognition.

He has also contributed as co-arranger on albums including Beyond Boundaries, Wanderlust, and Aam Zameen, which have received Canada’s prestigious JUNO Award

His collaboration with American R&B artist Ginuwine, Anu Shukla & Shayal produced the UK-charting track Baby, which reached No.2 on the BBC Indie Chart and No.7 on the UK R&B Chart, and received a UK Asian Music Award nomination.

Kiran has performed in over 4,000 concerts worldwide and has collaborated with leading artists including legandary Bill Bailey Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Zakir Hussain, Sivamani, Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Chitra Ji, Suresh Wadekar, Hans Raj Hans, Sardool Sikendar, Fariha Parvez and many others.

His work focuses on blending classical traditions with contemporary production and music technology, creating distinctive cinematic and globally influenced soundscapes

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

K. S. Chithra

Alka Yagnik

Sardool Sikender