Vishal Vaid brings a modern perspective to the traditional music of India, creating melodies that evoke his culture’s past while shaping popular music’s future.

Why you should listen

Vishal Vaid has trained in the traditional art of ghazal (an ancient form of poetry, often performed in song) since he was three years old. Today, his performances blend Eastern and Western, ancient and contemporary to create spellbinding music. He has performed throughout the world, appearing on television shows in New York, London, India, and Morocco, and has worked with renowned artists Anoushka Shankar, Bill Laswell, Michael Franti, and Karsh Kale.

In addition, he provided vocals to the electronic-oriented band Bhoom Shankar formed by Karsh Kale and credited with beginning the popular genre of music known as Asian Massive within the electronica community.  

What others say

“Vaid takes the classical tradition seriously, and perhaps modernizes it in a controlled way.” — Amardeep Singh

Vishal Vaid’s TED talk