Spotify | YouTube | Instagram If India had a folk hero who spoke to audiences across the board, it would be Ankur Tewari. The singer-songwriter, composer and lyricist has spent years honing his craft and now enjoys the distinction of being one of the few artists who can speak to almost any Indian like a friend and confidante. First emerging in 1998 when Indian independent music barely existed, Tewari arguably threw open the doors for artists when he appeared on shows like MTV Sound Trippin’ as well as helming Coke Studio Bharat. He’s helped craft some of India’s most memorable, heartfelt collaborations in these projects, while also offering poignant stories of friendship, protest anthems and love songs with his solo releases. In the realm of music for screen, Tewari – as a lyricist, music supervisor and singer-composer – delivered hits for the Netflix movie The Archies (an Indianized adaptation of the beloved comic book series), Gehraiyaan (premiered on Amazon Prime Video) and the hip-hop musical Gully Boy. Like a true artist ahead of his time, the world is only now slowly and warmly turning up for Tewari’s intimate songwriting, with 2024 including performances at SXSW and a U.S. tour. As the world turns more inclusive to South Asian voices, Tewari will no doubt be shaping sonic narratives, both behind the scenes and leading from the front.