Pardesi

Today’s guest is New Jersey-native Nihal Singh Live. Nihal is an expert percussionist, entertainer and entrepreneur. Throughout high school and college Nihal developed his own business where he gets to play tabla and dhol all around the world, often at destination weddings. Nihal first gained a lot of attention after posting videos fusing together American music and tabla, a combination representative of the diaspora community and an important part of why he does what he does. You can follow his work on Instagram @nihalsinghlive Thanks for your support! As always follow @pardesipodcast on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

Toronto-based Sukhman Gill is a model, actor, speaker and entertainer. Sukhman gained traction on Instagram when he began modeling and ever since, he has tackled a variety of art forms and experiences. You may recognize Sukhman for being the face of a Hershey’s Gold ad campaign in Canada or from one of several short films he’s participated in. Sukhman’s most recent YouTube video, a turban tutorial, is perhaps the most clear example of Sukhman’s goals: to educate others about minority groups and diverse populations, especially Punjabis and Sikhs, through entertainment and mainstream media. In this episode, we discuss this goal and Sukhman's many other projects, as well as his advice or other rising artists.  And be sure to follow @pardesipodcast on Instagram and Twitter, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content.

Babbu is a Canada-based creative who is well-known for the characters he plays in JusReign's YouTube videos, his artwork and his clothing brand Committee Members. Over the last decade, Babbu has become a common and important figure in the childhood experiences of so many in the South Asian diaspora community. In this episode, we discuss Babbu's start on YouTube, his priorities right now and his goals for the future. We also talk about some of his best-known characters including Tide-jacket-wearing Prince and the Baghban Uncle, and his relationship with other Desi creatives like JusReign. And be sure to follow @pardesipodcast on Instagram and Twitter, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content.

Raaginder is a California-based music producer and violinist. In this episode, we discuss his start with the violin, his process when recording, the influence his parents have had on his career and his plans looking forward. And be sure to follow @pardesipodcast on Instagram and Twitter, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content.

Welcome back to Pardesi! In today’s episode, we talk to Toronto-based singer Simar. Simar has gained a lot of popularity within the last couple of years for her unique sound and collaborations with Fateh, KayvSingh, Garry Sandhu and others. You may remember hearing her in the song Don’t Feel Right in Fateh’s album To Whom it May Concern and recently in Aya Tenu Lenh in Fateh’s most recent album New Memories. Simar talks about her artistic journey, challenges she's faced along the way, what it's like collaborating with other rising South Asian artists and her plans for the future. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @pardesipodcast, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content.

NY-based singer Kabir talks about his career switch from "finance to fine arts," his upcoming EP and his advice for rising artists. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @pardesipodcast, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content!

Canadian native Kiran Rai aka KayRay is an actor, filmmaker, model and more. Listen to her discuss the obstacles she has had to overcome as a South Asian woman in the arts, as well as her advice for up-and-coming brown creatives. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @pardesipodcast, and like us on Facebook for updates and more content.

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to announced my new podcast Pardesi. Pardesi is a collection of conversations I've been having with South Asian artists in the diaspora community about their journeys pursuing careers in creative fields. While we are seeing a lot more South Asian representation in mainstream media, there still isn't a whole lot. About 50% of American-born South Asians are pursuing careers in STEM. As a journalist, I often get weird reaction from people within my own community when I share with them what I do. So, I wanted to get the input of the many artists who have gone through similar situations and succeeded. I hope you all enjoy these conversations! To keep up with Pardesi, follow us on Instagram @pardesipodcast, and visit your favorite podcast platforms for new episodes.