Daler Mehndi
Musician
New Delhi (INDIA)
Ancestry
Adampur, Jalandhar (Punjab)
Birthplace
Patna, Bihar (India)
Residence
New Delhi (INDIA)
THE UNABASHED KING OF POP
Daler Mehndi is an Indian singer, composer, songwriter, performer, environmentalist, and philanthropist of international repute.
Daler Mehndi, born in Patna Sahib, Bihar, inherited a legacy of music from his family, Late Bhai Sahab Bhai Ajmer Singh Chandan (the then Hazuri Ragi of Takhtri Patna Sahib) and Late Bibi Beero (also a Prabhakar in Indian Classical Music and an elated soul). He had five brothers and two sisters but lost his two elder brothers. His wife, Taranpreet Kaur, is an architect by education, an author, Gurbani singer and CEO of DRECORDS. Daler has four children. Gurdeep Singh Mehndi, an artist, married to Jessica Mehndi; eldest daughter, Ajit Mehndi, married to Navraj Hans, the son of the famous Indian singer, Hans Raj Hans; Prabhjot Kaur Mehndi and 6-year-old Rabab Kaur Mehndi.
Endowed with versatile power pitched vocals and a dynamic spirit, his innovative and inimitable style of music is responsible for the elevation of pop-music to a degree of reverence that it commands today. From his exemplary folkish debut album, Bolo Ta Ra Ra credited to be the foundation of Indian Pop Industry, to the foot-tapping anthems Dardi Rab Rab, from the glitter and glam of Ho Jayegi Balle Balle, to the Global Internet Dance Phenomenon Tunak Tunak Tun, Daler Mehndi is India’s Voice of Entertainment.
Early years of learning
Daler’s early influences on music are his parents, who taught him the ragas and Shabad’s from the Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji. At age 11, intrigued and besotted by the Patiala Gharana style of Indian Classical Music, he ran away from home in search of the Ustad Raahat Ali Khan Sahib of Gorakhpur for lessons and stayed with him for over a year and learned the finer nuances of this style of Indian classical music.
He gave his first stage performance in front of an audience of 20,000 at the age of 13 in Jaunpur where his parents found him standing centre-stage, his shoulders overflowing with garlands of flowers, sandalwood and money. There has been no looking back since.
Anything to live the American dream
Had it not been for my father I would not have made it to the USA. Although we had moved to the Indian side of the border, he still shared good rapport with our old neighbours in Pakistan. In the late 1950s, he arranged for my Pakistani birth-certificate to prove my petition to fly across the seven seas. I was a student of Sardar College, Ludhiana, when I finally moved to the USA in 1959. Those days remind me of cheerful times I spent with my friends. We would play games for hours. We were not afraid of anything.
I had only $20 when I first landed in the new country; that was the limit imposed by the government. But I had to give $10 to one of my co-passengers on the plane, for he needed it. In San Francisco, to match the standards, I had to repeat high-school. But it is never too easy to repeat school when you’re 21. Owing to my discomfiture, I was promoted to grade 12 when my sister’s in-laws requested it, but couldn’t be as smart as my classmates. How could I? My interest lay in making money on the farms. And I guess my interest did pay me well enough!
The rise of a super star
Bolo Ta Ra Ra Ra is by far India’s most celebrated POP Album. The super-duper hit album sold over 20 million units and over 2 lakh units in Kerela within a week of its release, an unmatched feat for any Indian album and Daler Mehndi became the pivot of a new genre that came to be labelled as Indie pop. A year later, his second album under Magnasound Dardi Rab Rab further created a stir in the nation. This album superseded the sales of Bolo Ta Ra Ra Ra.
In 1997, with his third album Ho Jayegi Balle Balle he created a HATRICK OF SUPERHITS and was christened ‘Dollar Mehndi’ by the media. This album got him Channel V Awards in six different categories. And if this was not enough, the Maverick songwriter, the composer created another anthem Tunak Tunak Tun – an internet phenomenon that made him the only Asian artist to have had over a billion organic hits online – and still going stronger! Jalwa, Sajjan Mere Satrangiya, Ek Dana, Kala Kauwa Kaat Khayega, and an endless list are a staple celebration diet for Indians and the world that loves Indian culture.
NDTV quoted Tunak Tunak Tun as India’s biggest export to the west in 2016, as the song continues to be licensed to International Gaming biggies World of Warcraft to Shampoo advertisements in South Korea.
There was more to come; with titles like “The Turbaned Tornado”, the “Sultan of Swing” conferred on him by the international press, Daler was set to take Bollywood by storm and gave the Indian Film Industry with an anthem Na Na Na Re for the film Mrityudata. Composer and performer Daler Mehndi featured on the big screen with the legendary Mr Amitabh Bachchan.
Daler had the Music Industry gripped in Mehndi Mania
Then followed a series of blockbusters Kudiyan Shehr Diyan, Ankh Ladti Hai to Ru Ba Ru to Rang De Basanti, Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai, Mirzya, Ghar Layenge Gold, Zor Ka Jhatka, Jagga Jiteya, Dangal and Bahubali.
Mr HAPPY MUSIC as titled by The Hindu, Daler debuted in Telugu and Tamil in 2007. All this while, Daler’s musical journey was creating waves through his tours abroad. The USA tasted the Mehndi Mania during the Blast 98 Tour. The reining Bollywood actresses Raveena Tondon, Shilpa Shetty, Karishma Kapoor, Neha Dhupia toured with him year after year. The press was dizzy with his energetic performances. One journalist mesmerised with the Bhangra King’s performance went to the extent of writing on record HE IS ALL THAT… HE IS BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES. Post the Singapore concert, one journalist went onto write: “If Daler’s legs found a lawyer they would sue his pants off them. That’s the way Daler jigs around so frantically that it is almost infectious, like a ballerina on steroids.”
Belonging to the Eastern part of the Globe and speaking a language which only a few understand, Daler Mehndi’s feisty music, aureate voice and spellbinding performances have fostered a movement that today stretches around the world.
Amid multi-platinum album sales and an enviable plethora of prestigious accolades, the undisputed ‘King of Bhangra’ persists to take music into realms previously unexplored. He continues to reinvent himself and his art. He and his craft are being followed by international musicians of a completely different genre EDM. Artists Slushii, DeadMau 5, Marshmello and Diplo also endorse the TUNAK Mania.
Dr Daler Mehndi also an innovator
Mehndi has to his credit a new genre of music which he calls “Rababi” and has also invented a musical instrument called ‘Swar Mandir’ which is a confluence of Tanpura, Swar Mandal and Rabab. The instrument was blessed and unveiled by the Late Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar ji.
The multifaceted inventor designed and conceived a classical musical instrument titled ‘SWARMANDIR’. Regarded for the intellectual depth of his work in varied genres, he was honoured with an HONORARY DOCTORATE in music by the Victoria Global University, USA, at its 15th convocation held on 28 July 2018, followed by the Prestigious Minar E Dilli, Atal Ratan Award, first WORLD SUFI RUMI AWARD for Oneness at Jahan-e-Khusrau. 2019 Daler Mehndi was conferred with the WORLD BOOK of RECORDS Award for his extraordinary contribution to Indian music and electrifying live performances.
The same year WBR (London) made him their brand ambassador and awarded him with the Green Ambassador after seeing his immense contribution towards the environment.
Daler Mehndi – the philanthropist
As you get past Daler Mehndi, you’ll find a person who’s deeply religious and philanthropic. It is due to his single-minded devotion towards what he is best at: music and God’s grace. He feels that while there is immense talent out there, but not everyone makes it to heights of stardom like him unless you have the blessings of God.
Established in 1998, Daler Mehndi Green Drive single-handedly planted over 10 lakh trees in around NCR of New Delhi sensitising and creating awareness among the public at large and children by visiting over 300 schools and meeting over 60,000 children and planting trees with them. Daler Mehndi through his NGO has been motivating youth across the country to plant trees since 1998. In 2019 monsoons, he planted 51,000 trees with CISF, BSF, colleges and WBR team in Indore; 5,000 trees in Bharatpur, Rajasthan; distributed 25,000 fruit-bearing trees in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh; and 20,000 in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh. Every Diwali, Tulsi plants are distributed by DMGD since 1998.
Apart from planting trees, Daler Mehndi has single-handedly raised over Rs 8 crore funds for Cancer Research through his concerts. He has also donated for Gujrat cyclone, to families of jawans during Kargil, contributed for the Tsunami victims, built earthquake resistance houses in Bhuj for the quake victims called Guru Gobind Singh Block. He creates music for free for important causes that bring and connects the society on a mass level and has also contributed to the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Campaign by contributing through music. He advocates tree plantation as the simplest way to combat the man-made pressure on the environment and is determined to plant more and more trees.
Food for life
Daler set up a free food service in 1999. He built Gurdwara Dukhbhanjani Sahib, Bibi Beero and set up FOOD FOR LIFE in West Delhi, a 24-hour kitchen that provides free food to the destitute and the underprivileged.
“I am a Sikh and am just trying to follow my Guru’s teachings. I desire to plant billions of native trees within the next 2–3 years and it is not a challenging task. If I can single-handedly plant over 10 lakhs trees, then the government, NGOs and my fellow Indians can also do the same and contribute largely to the earth. I follow my Guru’s teachings “Kirat Karo, Vand Chhako” (Work Hard and then share your fortunes with the needy) so I am not doing anything extraordinary and don’t like making a big deal of it. I just do what I can and that’s it. The Kitchen is what He taught each Sikh to follow by default as per his/her capacity. I am just the instrument – the Creator is He who gives us a thought and then also the power and zeal to fulfil it,” he says.
He is a man with a definite mission: nail the charts by unleashing million-selling albums and SERVE Humanity. Forceful, fearless, frank, and always fuelled up for something new, his route map to success is well deserved. In his own words “This is just the beginning… there is a long way to go before I leave a mark…”
One can find him an optimist, hard working and sensitive human, far from hatred, with an aim to spread happiness all around, through his music with a clear vision and expression for all, receptive to every emotion, a lover of Mother Nature and a staunch disciple of God is what Daler Singh Mehndi is when he is not Daler Mehndi – THE BADSHAH OF INDIPOP.
I’d suggest the youth…
To steer clear of Nasha, alcohol, tobacco – the intoxication of any kind.
Success Mantra
GRATITUDE and FULL FAITH in the one who brought you to this world – RAB (GOD) – is the only KEY to SUCCESS
AKA
Bhangra Pop Singer | Punjabi Music | Tunak Tunak Tun | Bolo Ta Ra Ra
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695