Kiran Ahluwalia

Born in Indian, raised in Canada, vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia is a performer of two distinct styles of South Asian vocal music: ghazals and Punjabi folk songs. The word ghazal translates from Arabic as "to talk to women," and is the name of a style of poetic sung verse that originated in Persia about 1,000 years ago and reached India around 400 years later. Common throughout Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India, it's one of the region's most enduring songforms—and with its themes of courtly devotion and divine love, it's the perfect compliment to the earthy, village themes of the Punjabi folks songs that make up the rest of Ahluwalia's repertoire.

Unlike many South Asian musicians, Kiran came to music relatively late in life. After she'd finished her undergraduate degree in Canada and found herself a good job, she put it all on hold to travel to India, where she studied music in Bombay and Hyderabad. She studied the ghazals and Punjabi folksongs of her parents' home state, most notably under the tutelage of master singer Vithal Rao. After years of study (and time off to take an MBA), Kiran threw herself into making music full time in 2000.

She released her first album the following year, and won herself a Juno Award in 2004 for her release Beyond Boundaries. Since then, she's signed an international recording deal and released her self-titled U.S. debut to critical acclaim in 2005.—Tom Pryor