MEET MANIKA
THE POWER OF ONE
Manika Kaur.
Manika Kaur’s music has received overwhelming praise from the global Sikh community and has transcended and touched the souls of music lovers from all walks of life all over the world.
Now with Ek (Six Degrees Records), the album she refers to as her deepest and most accomplished recorded work to date, Manika hopes to spread the word of both her music and charitable endeavours far and wide.
Each track features some of the rarest instruments in the world, performed by some of the only remaining players of each instrument, with a different instrument for each song in order to highlight all.
These traditional instrumental elements are combined with the modern aural creations of London’s renowned music producers. A precarious balance, handled with great care and resulting in a unique piece of art, as hypnotic as it is mesmerizing.
As always, all proceeds of Manika’s recorded work are dedicated to her charitable organization Kirtan for Causes, set up to raise funds to provide quality education to over 200 young females in rural Punjab in India.
Name: Manika. Manik describes a rare precious stone or pearl that the ancients believed was found on the head of a serpent and those who obtained it would possess great mystical powers. There is a sentence within the Sikh holy scriptures that has the word Manik as the jewel within the mind of the individual who is God-loving. This resonated with my mother and thus I was named Manika.
Currently: I have just released my fifth studio album with Six Degrees Records. Ek (meaning Oneness) is the title, the music remains true to the venerated traditions of kirtan and features some of the rarest instruments in the world, performed by amazing musicians from across the world.
Favourite colour: Yellow.
Favourite designer: Bunto Kazmi from Pakistan.
Favourite Bollywood star: Kajol, because she can truly evoke emotion.
Favourite Hollywood star: Sandra Bullock, she’s such a chameleon!
Favourite movies: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and The Shawshank Redemption.
Favourite singers: Satinder Sartaaj, Bhai Niranjan Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Joss Stone and Michael Jackson.
Favourite song: They don’t really care about us by Michael Jackson.
Favourite TV show: Friends.
Favourite ice cream flavour: Dairy-free bitter coffee.
Favourite cuisine: Japanese.
Favourite restaurant: Novikov.
Favourite sport: Basketball.
Favourite sportsperson: Serena Williams.
Favourite book: The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak.
Favourite activities: Singing and dancing.
I hang out: With the people I love, just chilling at home or in the garden or at a park – real life!
I’m freaked out by: Spiders.
I need: My family.
I want to be: Resonating at the frequency of compassion and love consistently.
My role models: My parents, because they have shown me through example what it means to live generously and beautifully.
Tips to save the planet: Inspire people to care, especially the younger generation who will inevitably be the custodians of this world.
In a perfect world: There would be no greed. Greed is the root cause of poverty which results in homelessness, hunger, crime, drug abuse and so on.
Manika Kaur’s album Ek has received overwhelming praise.
Be a Desi Star! If you’d like Desi News readers to ‘meet’ you, call 416-695-4357 or e-mail desinews@rogers.com to arrange a photo session! It’s fun and it’s free!