National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Following up on a string of successful Stateside festival appearances last winter and this summer, Indian singer Kailash Kher is poised to finally take on North America with the release of his first international album, Yatra (Nomadic Souls) and first North American tour, both scheduled for next month.

A superstar at home, Kher is a both a well-known Bollywood playback singer, whose big voice has appeared on hundreds of film soundtracks, he's also the visionary leader of Indian folk-pop outfit Kalissa-not to mention the host of TV's Indian Idol.

Now Kher is bringing his band Kalissa's unique sound to international audiences for the first time with Yatra, to be released on Cumbancha records on September 15th. For this record, Kailash and his bandmates "revist some of their favorite tracks, rerecording them with a global audience in mind," according to a label press release. "They stripped down the instrumentation to emphasize the acoustic and organic aspect of their sound, and adjusted the arrangements and mix to help better reflect the essence of the songs. Two of their greatest hits, "Teri Deewani" and "Joban Chaalke" are presented in unplugged, acoustic versions that offer a fresh perspective on classic songs that are familiar to millions of Indian fans."

Additionally, Kher and Kalissa will kick off a tour of the U.S. and Canada on September 20th in Los Angeles.

Kailash Kher & Kailasa Tour Dates:

9/20: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
9/21: Live on KCRW - Morning Becomes Eclectic, Los Angeles, CA
9/22: Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
9/26: Bell Performing Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC
9/27: The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
9/29: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
10/04: Dallas, TX - Texas Stadium
11/08: Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/10: Washington, DC - Lisner Auditorium
11/11: Live on WNYC - Soundcheck, New York, NY
11/12: Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
11/13: Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA