Rahul Sharma (musician)
Rahul Sharma | |
|---|---|
 Sharma in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 25 September 1972 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Genres | Indian classical music |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Santoor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Website | rahulsantoor |
Rahul Sharma (born 25 September 1972) is an Indian classical santoor player and composer. He has released numerous albums throughout his career, several of which have been collaborations with prominent artists such as his father, Shivkumar Sharma; Richard Clayderman; Deep Forest; and Kenny G.
Early life and studies
Rahul Sharma was born in Mumbai into the Dogra family of santoor player Shivkumar Sharma.[1][2] He took up the harmonium while still young,[3] and he began learning to play the santoor from his father at the age of 13.[4] Sharma later studied at Mumbai's Mithibai College.[5] He went on to perform with his father numerous times, and the two even recorded several albums together.[6]
Career
At the age of 22, Sharma was signed by Peter Gabriel to perform at WOMAD and at the Darbar Festival.[7]
He marked his debut as a film composer with the 2002 romantic comedy film Mujhse Dosti Karoge!.[5][8] The same year, he released the album Confluence: Santoor & Piano, together with French pianist Richard Clayderman. They followed it with Confluence II in 2008.
In 2012, Sharma composed and recorded the album Namaste, which included musical input from American saxophonist Kenny G. The title song, issued as a single, reached No. 2 on Billboard's world charts and No. 4 on its jazz charts.[9] A year later, he worked with the French world music project Deep Forest on the album Deep India.[10]
In 2016, Sharma received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.[11]
In 2021, he composed music and contributed vocals to the soundtrack of Kunal Kohli's television series Ramayug.[12]
As of 2025, Sharma has over 60 albums to his credit, including collaborations with Zakir Hussain, Shafaat Ahmed Khan, Bhavani Shankar, Bickram Ghosh, and Aditya Kalyanpur.[3][6]
Personal life
Sharma married fashion designer and classical dancer Barkha Sharma in January 2008;[5] they have one son.[13][14]
Discography
Charted album
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Jazz [15] |
US Con. Jazz [16] |
US World Albums [17] | |||
| 2012 | Namaste – (Kenny G and Rahul Sharma) | 8 | 5 | 2 | Concord |
Charted single
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth Jazz Airplay [18] | |||
| 2012 | "Namaste" – (Kenny G and Rahul Sharma) | 1 | Namaste |
Awards
- MTV Immies, Best Instrumental Album – Zen (2002)[19]
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (2016)[11]
References
- ^ "Virasaat". rediff.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "What's Rahul Sharma's Dalai Lama connection?". indiatimes.com. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ a b express, newindian (11 February 2019). "Rahul Sharma: The wandering minstrel fuses rock and classical". newindianexpress. Vinita Tiwari. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ Pradeep Thakur. Indian Music Masters of Our Times- I. Pradeep Thakur & Sons. p. 198. ISBN 978-81-908705-6-6.
- ^ a b c "Stepping into father's shoes". indiatimes.com. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Rahul Sharma". discogs.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Budhaditya Mukherjee + Shivkumar & Rahul Sharma". Darbar Festival. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "A new sound". rediff.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Debarati S Sen (14 July 2012). "The single, Namaste, topping charts". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma and Deep Forest collaborate for Deep India". The Times of India. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Sangeet Natak Akademi awards conferred". The Hindu. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ IndiaTimes, TimesofIndia. "Rahul Sharma to debut as a singer in Kunal Kohli's next". The Times of India. Debarati S Sen. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma and Barkha: Baby boy for santoor maestro". indiatimes.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Meet santoor player Rahul Sharma, the man behind the musician". hindustantimes.com. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma: Jazz Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma: Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma: World Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Rahul Sharma: Smooth Jazz Airplay". Billboard.
- ^ "Banyan Tree brings its 'Milan' festival with Deep Forest' Eric Mouquet and Santoor Maestro Rahul Sharma". Musicunplugged. editor. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
External links
