'Big deal' Bollywood singer coming to Calgary this weekend
Rachel Ward | CBC News | Posted: March 29, 2018 5:24 PM | Last Updated: March 30, 2018
'Neha Kakkar brings a lot of Punjabi beats — and mixes it into urban hip-hop styles,' local dancer says
One of Bollywood's top singers is coming to Calgary this weekend — and a local dance instructor will be first in line for the show.
"Without a doubt, I'm so excited, I can't even contain it," Ishita Singla said Thursday morning.
Neha Kakkar is considered the most famous woman Indian Bollywood singer today. She's had a number of hits and millions of YouTube views.
She sings songs for major Bollywood productions. Actors dance to her music and lip sync the words.
The 29-year-old also travels to perform her works, after being launched to fame by an Indian Idol reality show contest and a series of YouTube videos.
"She's a big deal," Singla told the Calgary Eyeopener. "Neha Kakkar brings a lot of Punjabi beats — and mixes it into urban hip-hop styles, which resonates with the youth."
Singla herself teaches a dance troop, called the Madhuban Dancers, and has used many of Kakkar's songs in their routines.
'Quite inspiring' story
When she heard the star was coming Calgary, she bought VIP tickets for her family immediately and pushed her friends to do the same.
"Her story's actually quite inspiring, being an artist myself," Singla said. "She comes from a family where her dad … sold samosas on the streets. She comes from a very rough background where, you know, she struggled to make a name for herself."
Kakkar's siblings loved music and started performing on YouTube. That's how they caught the reality show's attention.
The self-taught singer is still known as "genuine, very humble and down to earth."
The show on Saturday will likely be wild, Singla said, signaling a growing popularity of Bollywood music in Calgary.
She'll be performing at the Jack Singer Concert Hall at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available on the Arts Commons website.
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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.