Shalmali Kholgade

Shalmali Kholgade (born January 02, 1988) is an Indian singer-songwriter from Mumbai. She is best known as a playback singer in Hindi films. Her Bollywood playback singing career began with the song "Pareshaan" from the film Ishaqzaade, for which she won several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She followed it up with hits like "Daaru Desi" from Cocktail, "Lat Lag Gayee" from Race 2, and "Balam Pichkari" from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, thus establishing herself as one of the most promising female playback singers in Bollywood. Shalmali began performing at the age of 16 and has had her tutelage in music from the age of 8 years under her mother, Uma Kholgade - an Indian classical singer and theater personality. She later continued her music education under Shubhada Paradkar and has also recently been accepted by the L.A. Music Academy for their April semester but decided not to attend, due to her recording commitments. A versatile singer who sings both in English and Hindi, Shalmali paid a 2 hour tribute to one of her favourite singers; Amy Winehouse last year at Blue Frog, Mumbai which was attended widely. She is also a vocalist with Mikey McCleary's popular act 'The Bartender' where she has performed beautiful renditions of vintage Bollywood songs revamping it with a flavour of sensuous, old school jazz, and is featured on their second album, 'B Seventy'. Furthering her versatility as a performer, Shalmali has performed as a soloist with a Latvian troupe in a Cabaret named Bombaloo which toured Moscow, Russia and Yerevan, Armenia. Shalmali has been singing professionally in Mumbai for several years, she also appeared as an actor in film, Tu Maza Jeev (2009) made in Marathi language Directed by: Ranjan singh.