Latest news with #Kumari
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Raja Kumari: There is so much room for experimentation in Bollywood songs
Raja Kumari, fresh from her American Music Award win for 'Renegade We Never Run,' reflects on her journey in the music industry. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and creating space for women. Kumari also expresses her love for Bollywood's vibrant music scene and its ability to connect her with a global audience. Fresh off her big win at the American Music Awards for Renegade We Never Run in the Favourite Soundtrack category, singer-rapper-songwriter Raja Kumari, (aka Svetha Yallapragada Rao), invited us into her beachside home for an exclusive chat. The singer known for Husn Parcham and Jawan Theme, posed for our camera between conversations about her journey, her genre-defying sound, and the power of owning her voice on the global stage. Excerpts… From co-hosting the AMA Red Carpet to earning a nomination and now winning for Renegade We Never Run, what does this full circle moment mean to you personally and professionally? Manifestation has always driven my career. But after 10 years and five albums, you sometimes fall into a rhythm and start questioning, should I still dream that big? Getting nominated, and now winning, for a song I created purely from passion, without expectations, is such a powerful reminder that I'm not done. There's still so much more to do, so many new places to share my music and art. I'm humbled. Five years ago, I was on the AMA red carpet interviewing the greats on live television. That in itself felt surreal. To now be on the other side, winning an award, it's a crazy full circle moment. More than anything, it reflects our growth, not just mine, but the entire community's. And that feels really powerful. You've worked globally in the music industry and this industry sure is male dominated, especially in India. Did you as an unconventional woman artiste have to fight to create space for yourself? I think all artists, in the beginning, have to fight to create space, it's part of proving yourself. But once you truly know who you are and show up authentically, things start to flow. The 'male-dominated' tag is just a perspective. The more I put out work, the more I felt that perspective shifting. And honestly, the industry today looks so different from when I started, I see so many more women getting opportunities. Yes, maybe early on I leaned into my masculine side, took on bolder themes, but I always made room for the spiritual, for the diverse. And now, I don't feel like I'm fighting for space anymore. I just hope that inspires other women to be their full selves, without giving in to the noise or the rat race. What do you love about the Bollywood music industry? Oh my gosh, I love how fun Bollywood music is! There's so much room for experimentation. Bollywood has always pulled in so many musical influences, you'll hear a Spanish section, a pop hook, and the dance elements are inspired from all over the world. I love being part of that mix and bringing my own flavor to it. And writing for films? I absolutely love it. Hearing about a character or a scene and building a musical world around it, it's such a creative rush. Bollywood is such a fun medium, and I really hope to keep exploring it more and more. Many Indian fans know you through Bollywood hits like Husn Parcham and Jawan Theme. How do these mainstream collaborations fit into your broader artistic narrative? I think it brings people to me. Bollywood offers this incredible platform to do something different on a massive scale. Like with Jawan, it probably opened in every theatre around the world at once. Hearing my voice throughout that film, I realized just how many people were being introduced to me. That's a power only Bollywood has. And because I write all my own parts when I work in Bollywood, it's not so different from my own music. So if you found me through a Bollywood track, there's a whole world of my music waiting for you. Raja Kumari with her French Bulldog, 'Luv Kumar'. She fondly calls him Lallu Your music consistently bridges classical Indian elements with contemporary hip-hop. What were some pivotal moments or influences that helped shape this hybrid sound? I think it really started when I was a teenager. Timbaland was huge in the U.S., and I remember hearing Indian samples, tablas, classical instruments on the radio. It was like proof that our culture was beautiful and deserved to be shared. Growing up in America, Indian culture wasn't widely understood. If I said I was Indian, people thought I meant Native American and they'd ask me what tribe I was from. So hearing Indian sounds in hip-hop, the coolest genre at the time, made me feel like I belonged. It felt like hip-hop was saying, you're welcome here. That moment really inspired me to see hip-hop as a space where I could be fully myself, and use it as a vehicle to blend who I am with how I create. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Rapper Raja Kumari becomes first Indian origin musician to win AMA award
Indian origin singer-songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari wins an American Music Award (AMA) on Tuesday. She was nominated for 'Arcane League of Legends: Season 2' at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles on Monday night. In an interview to PTI earlier, Kumari had said she was the first Indian origin musician to be nominated for an AMA. 'Renegade (We Never Run)' from 'Arcane League of Legends', a collaboration between Kumari, UK hip-hop artist Stefflon Don and Dominican-Brazilian artist Jarina de Marco, was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category. Kumari told PTI that the song was really special for her. 'Stefflon (Don) and I kind of share the Sidhu (Moose Wala) connection. She has a song with Sidhu, too. And when I was meeting Sidhu during the time that we were collaborating, he had played me the song. So, I've always had this soft spot in my heart for her because we both kind of share this gentle giant,' Kumari told PTI. She said she was approached for the song because the character in the film is Indian. 'They (Arcane team) had heard about me as being representative of our culture and being able to make aggressive music as a woman,' added Kumari. She said she never really expected the song to become such a big hit. ALSO READ:Finding calm in chaos with Raja Kumari 'The song actually went top 10 in the world on the 'Viral 50' charts on Spotify. It was something that kind of came out of nowhere. I just did a song for a film. I didn't have many expectations for it. It ended up really impacting people,' said Kumari. The AMA nomination, added the rapper, came at a time when she was beginning to believe that perhaps one has to focus on one genre to make it big. 'And I've always been a global artist, so an AMA award is a great reminder that there's still much more work for me to do, and still much more for me to impact and grow,' she added.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Rapper Raja Kumari is first Indian origin musician to win AMA award
Bengaluru: Indian origin singesongwriter and rapper Raja Kumari wins an American Music Award (AMA) on Tuesday. She was nominated for 'Arcane League of Legends: Season 2' at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles on Monday night. In an interview to PTI earlier, Kumari had said she was the first Indian origin musician to be nominated for an AMA. 'Renegade (We Never Run)' from 'Arcane League of Legends', a collaboration between Kumari, UK hip-hop artist Stefflon Don and Dominican-Brazilian artist Jarina de Marco, was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category. Kumari told PTI that the song was really special for her. 'Stefflon (Don) and I kind of share the Sidhu (Moose Wala) connection. She has a song with Sidhu, too. And when I was meeting Sidhu during the time that we were collaborating, he had played me the song. So, I've always had this soft spot in my heart for her because we both kind of share this gentle giant,' Kumari told PTI. She said she was approached for the song because the character in the film is Indian. 'They (Arcane team) had heard about me as being representative of our culture and being able to make aggressive music as a woman,' added Kumari. She said she never really expected the song to become such a big hit. 'The song actually went top 10 in the world on the 'Viral 50' charts on Spotify. It was something that kind of came out of nowhere. I just did a song for a film. I didn't have many expectations for it. It ended up really impacting people,' said Kumari. The AMA nomination, added the rapper, came at a time when she was beginning to believe that perhaps one has to focus on one genre to make it big. 'And I've always been a global artist, so an AMA award is a great reminder that there's still much more work for me to do, and still much more for me to impact and grow,' she added.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rapper Raja Kumari becomes first Indian origin musician to win AMA award
Indian origin singer-songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari wins an American Music Award (AMA) on Tuesday. She was nominated for 'Arcane League of Legends: Season 2' at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles on Monday night. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an interview to PTI earlier, Kumari had said she was the first Indian origin musician to be nominated for an AMA. 'Renegade (We Never Run)' from 'Arcane League of Legends', a collaboration between Kumari, UK hip-hop artist Stefflon Don and Dominican-Brazilian artist Jarina de Marco, was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category. Kumari told PTI that the song was really special for her. "Stefflon (Don) and I kind of share the Sidhu (Moose Wala) connection. She has a song with Sidhu, too. And when I was meeting Sidhu during the time that we were collaborating, he had played me the song. So, I've always had this soft spot in my heart for her because we both kind of share this gentle giant," Kumari told PTI. She said she was approached for the song because the character in the film is Indian. "They (Arcane team) had heard about me as being representative of our culture and being able to make aggressive music as a woman," added Kumari. She said she never really expected the song to become such a big hit. "The song actually went top 10 in the world on the 'Viral 50' charts on Spotify. It was something that kind of came out of nowhere. I just did a song for a film. I didn't have many expectations for it. It ended up really impacting people," said Kumari. The AMA nomination, added the rapper, came at a time when she was beginning to believe that perhaps one has to focus on one genre to make it big. "And I've always been a global artist, so an AMA award is a great reminder that there's still much more work for me to do, and still much more for me to impact and grow," she added.
Fashion Network
4 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Kumari Fine Jewellery launches Bandra flagship store
Kumari Fine Jewellery has opened its second Mumbai outlet on Turner Road, Bandra, marking a key milestone in the brand's expansion less than six months after launching its first store in Kala Ghoda in 2024. The modern fine jewellery label, an offshoot of DP Jewellers, is targeting five to six stores in Mumbai by December 2025 and aims to establish 30 to 35 stores across major metros over the next three years. 'Kumari is not just a new brand- it's a new blueprint for what jewellery retail in India can look like,' said Kumari Fine Jewellery's CEO Amit Bandi in a press release. 'We're building a model that's agile, data-led, and deeply attuned to how young India shops today- style-first, digitally connected, and experience-driven.' The label targets a younger, style-conscious demographic with lightweight, customisable designs ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. Kumari has recorded 20% month-on-month revenue growth and grown digital engagements from 25,000 to 300,000 since its launch. 'Our vision was to evolve from the traditional mass-merchandise model of approach of DP Jewellers into a modern retail experience that speaks to today's youth,' said the brand's co-founder Vikas Kataria. With an omni-channel strategy and plans for international pop-ups in London and the UAE by December 2025, Kumari Fine Jewellery is positioning itself at the intersection of heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design for next-gen Indian consumers.
