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{{Other uses|Reena (disambiguation){{!}}Reena}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} | ||
{{BLP sources|date=January 2008}} | {{BLP sources|date=January 2008}} | ||
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See | {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Bharatpedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | ||
| name = Reena Bhardwaj | | name = Reena Bhardwaj | ||
| image = Reena Bhardwaj - Bristol.png | | image = Reena Bhardwaj - Bristol.png | ||
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| background = solo_singer | | background = solo_singer | ||
| birth_date = | | birth_date = | ||
| birth_place = London, | | birth_place = [[London]], United Kingdom | ||
| origin = | | origin = | ||
| instrument = | | instrument = | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''Reena Bhardwaj''' is a British | '''Reena Bhardwaj''' is a British singer, songwriter and recording artist best known for her collaborations with [[A. R. Rahman]] and [[Nitin Sawhney]]. Versatile to genre and language, her repertoire includes a variety of Indian Traditional, Bollywood, World and Popular styles sung in various Indian languages (Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu) and English. | ||
==Early years and education== | ==Early years and education== | ||
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With Rahman, she recorded her debut song, "Yeh Rishta" for the Bollywood film soundtrack ''[[Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities]]'' directed by [[MF Hussain]], which catapulted her from the world of academics to the top of the Indian Music charts. She became the first British Asian Artist to be nominated for a Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer and the [[MTV Immies]] Award for Best New Talent of 2004. | With Rahman, she recorded her debut song, "Yeh Rishta" for the Bollywood film soundtrack ''[[Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities]]'' directed by [[MF Hussain]], which catapulted her from the world of academics to the top of the Indian Music charts. She became the first British Asian Artist to be nominated for a Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer and the [[MTV Immies]] Award for Best New Talent of 2004. | ||
Next she sang "Baba Kichhu Tha", a Tamil romantic duet with one of South India's most revered playback singers, [[S. P. | Next she sang "Baba Kichhu Tha", a Tamil romantic duet with one of South India's most revered playback singers, [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]] for the [[Rajinikanth]] and [[Manisha Koirala]] starrer ''[[Baba (2002 film)|Baba]]''. | ||
Reena has featured on a number of [[AR Rahman]]’s [[Bollywood]] and Tamil/ | Reena has featured on a number of [[AR Rahman]]’s [[Bollywood]] and Tamil/Telugu film soundtracks including ''[[Mangal Pandey: The Rising]]'', ''[[Sakkarakatti]]'' and most recently she sang the beautiful song ''[[Raavan (soundtrack)|Khilli Re]]'' for the [[Mani Ratnam]], [[Aishwarya Rai]] and [[Abhishek Bachchan]] starrer, [[Raavan (2010 Hindi film)|Raavan]], also by Rahman. | ||
Reena's has been a regular collaborator with British Asian Composer/Producer [[Nitin Sawhney]], an association that began with her soulful rendition of the epic Indian poem "Heer" by [[Waris Shah]] for Sawhney's 2003 album ''Human'' (V2). She went on to co-write the popular song "Mausam" for Sawhney's 2006 album ''Philtre'' (V2) alongside memorable performances on "Koyal – Songbird" and "The Search". She appears again on Sawhney's ''[[London Undersound]]'' in which she expresses her feelings about growing up in London by co-writing the track "Ek Jaan" and sings alongside Sir Paul McCartney in "My Soul". | Reena's has been a regular collaborator with British Asian Composer/Producer [[Nitin Sawhney]], an association that began with her soulful rendition of the epic Indian poem "Heer" by [[Waris Shah]] for Sawhney's 2003 album ''Human'' (V2). She went on to co-write the popular song "Mausam" for Sawhney's 2006 album ''Philtre'' (V2) alongside memorable performances on "Koyal – Songbird" and "The Search". She appears again on Sawhney's ''[[London Undersound]]'' in which she expresses her feelings about growing up in London by co-writing the track "Ek Jaan" and sings alongside Sir Paul McCartney in "My Soul". | ||
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She has also lent her voice to Sawhney's film scores, including [[Channel 4]]’s ''Second Generation'', [[Bharat Bala]] Production's ''Hari Om'', and the 1929 Silent Indian Classic, [[A Throw of Dice]] by Franz Osten, which premiered with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and subsequently performed with national orchestras in the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, US and Canada. | She has also lent her voice to Sawhney's film scores, including [[Channel 4]]’s ''Second Generation'', [[Bharat Bala]] Production's ''Hari Om'', and the 1929 Silent Indian Classic, [[A Throw of Dice]] by Franz Osten, which premiered with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and subsequently performed with national orchestras in the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, US and Canada. | ||
She has collaborated with the UK's biggest dance duo Basement Jaxx, [[Basement Jaxx]], renowned percussion king [[Trilok Gurtu]], [[Talvin Singh]] and award winning British Songwriter Guy Chambers. Her songs feature on various compilation CDs ([[Ministry of Sound]]’s, ''Angel Beach''; Pathaan's ''Indian Sunset'') and Sony Legacy's 2009 Compilation CD ''The Best of AR Rahman''. | She has collaborated with the UK's biggest dance duo Basement Jaxx, [[Basement Jaxx]], renowned percussion king [[Trilok Gurtu]], [[Talvin Singh]] and award-winning British Songwriter Guy Chambers. Her songs feature on various compilation CDs ([[Ministry of Sound]]’s, ''Angel Beach''; Pathaan's ''Indian Sunset'') and Sony Legacy's 2009 Compilation CD ''The Best of AR Rahman''. | ||
==Discography== | ==Discography== | ||
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“The Search", [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''Philtre'' (2005)<br /> | “The Search", [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''Philtre'' (2005)<br /> | ||
“Dead Man", [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''Philtre'' (2005)<br /> | “Dead Man", [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''Philtre'' (2005)<br /> | ||
“Sandesa", [[Nitin Sawhney]] & The [[London Symphony Orchestra]], Film: | “Sandesa", [[Nitin Sawhney]] & The [[London Symphony Orchestra]], Film: Franz_Osten's ''[[A Throw of Dice]]'' (2005)<br /> | ||
“Everybody", [[Basement Jaxx]], ''Crazy Itch Radio'' (2005)<br /> | “Everybody", [[Basement Jaxx]], ''Crazy Itch Radio'' (2005)<br /> | ||
“Main Vari Vari", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Mangal Pandey: The Rising]]'' (2006)<br /> | “Main Vari Vari", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Mangal Pandey: The Rising]]'' (2006)<br /> | ||
“Naan Epodhu", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Sakkarakatti]]'' (2008)<br /> | “Naan Epodhu", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Sakkarakatti]]'' (2008)<br /> | ||
“My Soul", [[Paul McCartney]] & [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''[[London Undersound]]'' (2008)<br /> | “My Soul", [[Paul McCartney]] & [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''[[London Undersound]]'' (2008)<br /> | ||
“Ek Jaan", co-written with [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''[[London Undersound]]''(2008)<br /> | “Ek Jaan", co-written with [[Nitin Sawhney]], ''[[London Undersound]]'' (2008)<br /> | ||
”[[Raavan (soundtrack)|Khilli Re]]", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Raavan]]'' (2010)<br /> | ”[[Raavan (soundtrack)|Khilli Re]]", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Raavan (2010 Hindi film)|Raavan]]'' (2010)<br /> | ||
“Puli Gharshana", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Komaram Puli]]'' (2010)<br /> | “Puli Gharshana", Music: [[A R Rahman]], Film: ''[[Komaram Puli]]'' (2010)<br /> | ||
Other film soundtracks and compilations in which Reena features: | Other film soundtracks and compilations in which Reena features: | ||
''The Best of A R Rahman'', Sony Legacy (2009)<br /> | ''The Best of A R Rahman'', Sony Legacy (2009)<br /> | ||
''Aaoji: Classic Sufi Hits', | ''Aaoji: Classic Sufi Hits'', Sony Music (2009)<br /> | ||
''Life Goes On'' Music: Soumik Dutta, Storm Glass Productions (2009)<br /> | ''Life Goes On'' Music: Soumik Dutta, Storm Glass Productions (2009)<br /> | ||
''In the Mind of Nitin Sawhney'', District 6 (2007)<br /> | ''In the Mind of Nitin Sawhney'', District 6 (2007)<br /> | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhardwaj, Reena}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhardwaj, Reena}} | ||
[[Category:Living people]] | [[Category:Living people]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:English pop singers]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Singers from London]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:British Asian musicians]] | ||
[[Category:English people of Indian descent]] | |||
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]] | |||
[[Category:Hindi-language playback singers]] | |||
[[Category:Tamil-language playback singers]] | |||
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] | [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:21st-century English women singers]] | ||
Latest revision as of 06:09, 8 January 2026
 |
Reena Bhardwaj | |
|---|---|
 Reena Bhardwaj | |
| Background information | |
| Born | London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Traditional music, Pop music, World music, Bollywood music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/songwriter/recording artist |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | web |
Reena Bhardwaj is a British singer, songwriter and recording artist best known for her collaborations with A. R. Rahman and Nitin Sawhney. Versatile to genre and language, her repertoire includes a variety of Indian Traditional, Bollywood, World and Popular styles sung in various Indian languages (Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu) and English.
Early years and education[edit | edit source]
Reena Bhardwaj was born and raised in London. From a very young age she displayed an intrinsic flair for the Indian arts, especially music and dance. She trained in the North Indian Classical Dance form Kathak and started performing on stage from the age of 9. During her teens, focus shifted to singing and she began to impress audiences as she sang complex compositions effortlessly. It was her natural vocal talent that eventually drew the attention of some of the world's leading pioneers of music, both in India and the UK.
An avid academic, Reena Bhardwaj chose to pursue a professional career in Business Management, while continuing to develop her musical interests on the side. She won a sponsorship on the Windsor Fellowship Management program and went on to graduate with Bachelor's and master's degrees from the London School of Economics. She briefly worked in corporate marketing and communications in the City of London.
Musical career[edit | edit source]
Reena describes her musical career as a "turn of fate" which came about while pursuing her master's degree at the London School of Economics, when she received an unexpected call from her most favourite Indian Composer, AR Rahman.
With Rahman, she recorded her debut song, "Yeh Rishta" for the Bollywood film soundtrack Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities directed by MF Hussain, which catapulted her from the world of academics to the top of the Indian Music charts. She became the first British Asian Artist to be nominated for a Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer and the MTV Immies Award for Best New Talent of 2004.
Next she sang "Baba Kichhu Tha", a Tamil romantic duet with one of South India's most revered playback singers, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam for the Rajinikanth and Manisha Koirala starrer Baba.
Reena has featured on a number of AR Rahman’s Bollywood and Tamil/Telugu film soundtracks including Mangal Pandey: The Rising, Sakkarakatti and most recently she sang the beautiful song Khilli Re for the Mani Ratnam, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan starrer, Raavan, also by Rahman.
Reena's has been a regular collaborator with British Asian Composer/Producer Nitin Sawhney, an association that began with her soulful rendition of the epic Indian poem "Heer" by Waris Shah for Sawhney's 2003 album Human (V2). She went on to co-write the popular song "Mausam" for Sawhney's 2006 album Philtre (V2) alongside memorable performances on "Koyal – Songbird" and "The Search". She appears again on Sawhney's London Undersound in which she expresses her feelings about growing up in London by co-writing the track "Ek Jaan" and sings alongside Sir Paul McCartney in "My Soul".
Reena has toured extensively with Sawhney and his band and has performed at some of the world's most culturally elite venues including the Glastonbury Festival, WOMAD in Taormina (Sicily), Jazz Café, The Barbican Centre, The Royal Festival Hall, The Roundhouse for the BBC Electric Proms in 2008. One of her most notable performances was The BBC Proms 2007 at The Royal Albert Hall where she appeared alongside Nitin Sawhney, Natacha Atlas, & Anoushka Shankar.
She has also lent her voice to Sawhney's film scores, including Channel 4’s Second Generation, Bharat Bala Production's Hari Om, and the 1929 Silent Indian Classic, A Throw of Dice by Franz Osten, which premiered with the London Symphony Orchestra and subsequently performed with national orchestras in the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, US and Canada.
She has collaborated with the UK's biggest dance duo Basement Jaxx, Basement Jaxx, renowned percussion king Trilok Gurtu, Talvin Singh and award-winning British Songwriter Guy Chambers. Her songs feature on various compilation CDs (Ministry of Sound’s, Angel Beach; Pathaan's Indian Sunset) and Sony Legacy's 2009 Compilation CD The Best of AR Rahman.
Discography[edit | edit source]
“Baba Kichchu", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Baba (2002)
“Tak Dheen" Music: A R Rahman, Bombay Dreams (2003)
“Heer", Nitin Sawhney, Human (2003)
“Falling" Aqualung & Nitin Sawhney, Human (2003)
“Yeh Rishta", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004)
“Mausam", co-written with Nitin Sawhney, Philtre (2005)
“Koyal (Songbird)", Nitin Sawhney, Philtre (2005)
“The Search", Nitin Sawhney, Philtre (2005)
“Dead Man", Nitin Sawhney, Philtre (2005)
“Sandesa", Nitin Sawhney & The London Symphony Orchestra, Film: Franz_Osten's A Throw of Dice (2005)
“Everybody", Basement Jaxx, Crazy Itch Radio (2005)
“Main Vari Vari", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2006)
“Naan Epodhu", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Sakkarakatti (2008)
“My Soul", Paul McCartney & Nitin Sawhney, London Undersound (2008)
“Ek Jaan", co-written with Nitin Sawhney, London Undersound (2008)
”Khilli Re", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Raavan (2010)
“Puli Gharshana", Music: A R Rahman, Film: Komaram Puli (2010)
Other film soundtracks and compilations in which Reena features:
The Best of A R Rahman, Sony Legacy (2009)
Aaoji: Classic Sufi Hits, Sony Music (2009)
Life Goes On Music: Soumik Dutta, Storm Glass Productions (2009)
In the Mind of Nitin Sawhney, District 6 (2007)
Angel Beach, Ministry of Sound (2005)
American Daylight, Amaan Ali Khan (2005)
Frank Osten's A Throw of Dice, Nitin Sawhney & The London Symphony Orchestra (2005)
Hari Om Film Score: Nitin Sawhney, Bharat Bala Productions (2004)
Second Generation, Film Score: Nitin Sawhney, Channel 4 (2003)
Indian Sunset DJ Pathaan (2003)