You would recognise her from ‘India’s Got Talent’ or as one of the standout performers in 2019’s ‘The Voice’. With a signature deep lilt to her voice, Hargun Kaur has been captivating audiences for a long time, including the likes of legendary figures in the music industry, such as A. R. Rahman and Asha Bhonsle. All that recognition is well-deserved, of course. After all, even if she wouldn’t care to admit it herself, her mother would surely tell you that she was born for this.
Born and raised in Amritsar, Kaur spent a good chunk of her formative years there before moving to Mumbai for further studies. Interestingly, Kaur reveals that her mother lovingly nicknamed her ‘Ghazal’ when she was born. Chalk it up to maternal intuition or just a mere coincidence, the fact still stands that Kaur did, in the most obvious way, live up to her name.
When we get to talking about the earliest days of her childhood, it comes as no surprise that Kaur spent a majority of it being exposed to a wide range of musical genres. While her family was not categorically into music, professionally speaking, they did truly enjoy it. From devotional music to the classics, Kaur’s childhood never fell short when it came to appreciating the wide world that music had to offer. A particular memory, that she recalls, involved her playing a certain Lata Mangeshkar bit, something that she saw on a televised concert, on her grandmother’s harmonium. It was probably then that Kaur first realized her natural inclination and affinity towards music as an art form. Still, as she states, formal training wouldn’t begin for her until a few years later.
Through that period of training, Kaur found herself being encouraged further by the incredible creative arts faculty that existed in her school. Indeed, she credits that encouragement and support as being one of the primary motivating factors that helped her persist.
Of course, we are glad that she did persist through her training and resolved to keep her love for music and singing alive. Kaur would go on to perform on national level competitions and shows, most notably in India’s Got Talent and ‘The Voice’, in 2019, where she was one of the finalists. ‘The Voice’ was a critically important bit in Kaur’s personal journey, as she would go on to reveal.
You know, when we talk about any form of creativity, it is vital to acknowledge the fact that for art to exist, a good amount of creative space must be given to the artists themselves. This becomes slightly challenging when it comes to a competition on the scale of ‘The Voice’. With millions watching you perform, nerves might just be an issue. Regardless, Kaur credits that part of her life to be incredibly constructive when it came to understanding her own range and scope. Sure, it did get stressful and challenging at times, however, all it did was just motivate her to further train and better hone her own craft. Spontaneity is key here and, as she goes on to explain, a good amount of Kaur’s own journey involved ‘on-the-job’ training. In point of fact, she believes that growth, whether it be in your preferred art form or in just a general sense, can only come from feeding on the avenues and opportunities that present themselves to you.
To be frank, Kaur’s philosophy, on what it takes to achieve growth, is rock solid. You would be hard pressed to find any flaws in it. As if to prove my point, look her up on YouTube. One of the first few videos that will pop up is just her getting recognized by some of the most legendary figures in music. From A. R. Rahman to Asha Bhonsle, Kaur has been commended by the best of the best. When she talks about that, Kaur explicitly states that, even today, she finds it hard to believe that some of the most established figures in the Indian Music Industry recognized her potential and ability. If you are familiar with the format of the audition process, when Kaur auditioned for ‘The Voice’, she recalls how A. R. Rahman said that she was, symbolically speaking, the voice of the country. That, in itself, was a surreal moment for her.
When watching her performances, one of the first things you notice is the range in Kaur’s voice. A little deeper than the average pitch, Kaur’s ability to hit the highest of notes without losing any of that signature weight in her voice is truly something to envy. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t care to hold a tune to save his life. All trivial humour aside, Kaur reveals that her fascination with challenging herself is one of the primary reasons that she gravitates towards music with a lot of range.
“Listening to people, who have done super challenging stuff, just makes me gear up and pull my socks up. It inspires me to do more everyday.”
Hargun Kaur
When we step back and take a look at it all, it’s hard to not recognize the incredible journey she has been on. Kaur has been performing since she was a child. And, that is something that needs to be talked about when it comes to the idea of finding confidence in one’s own work and art. As a singer and artist, Kaur reveals that it is crucial to be able to assimilate the idea of letting others see what you can do. That sounds like a basic concept, however, it really isn’t. Letting your work exist in the public eye, Kaur explains, will do more for you than thousands of hours of training and practice done in pure isolation. An external critical eye will add a layer of objectivity when it comes to perfecting your craft.
When we near the end of our conversation, I sense a little reluctance on Kaur’s part to advise anyone on anything outside of her own experiences. That, by itself, says a lot about her strength of character. Kaur is not someone to merely presume. However, if she did have to, to anyone starting out in a field that they are passionate about, Kaur would counsel patience. Patience and persistence. After all, Hargun Kaur doesn’t stand where she is without those two things. Well, that and a heap of vocal talent.
