Sonam Kalra and The Sufi Gospel Project Bag Three Medals at Global Music Awards
The singer-composer’s rendition of poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s “Bol” won gold medals for Best Song and Best Female Vocalist, with her single “Alfat” awarded a silver medal for Outstanding Achievement in the World Fusion Music category
Sonam Kalra. Photo: Inell
Fusion artist Sonam Kalra’s single “Bol” – originally released in 2015 as a rendition of poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s words – has clinched two gold medals at the Global Music Awards yesterday, with another song – “Alfat” from 2019, an adaptation of poet-saint Baba Bulleh Shah’s work – winning a silver medal for Outstanding Achievement in the World Fusion Music category.
Kalra took to social media to announce the news, noting that she’s now the only Indian musician to win three times in a single edition of Global Music Awards, which has been running since 2011. She thanked her bandmates from the Sufi Gospel Project and teammates involved in the campaign. “And to all those who’ve supported the music, my beliefs and our journey – we could not have done it without you,” she added.
Other Indian-origin winners at the July edition of the Global Music Awards include Bindi Mahesh for her children’s music record Solar System Songs, which picked up a silver medal for outstanding achievement, plus another silver for Swapna Abraham for her song “No Love Lost” featuring Devan Ekambaram.
Previous winners across categories and medal tiers at Global Music Awards range from composer-producer Sanjay Wandrekar (for his album Indian Dusk in 2012, making him the first Indian to win the award) to Grammy winner Ricky Kej for his album Samsara in 2015, singer Antara Nandy in 2019 and singer-composer Devan Ekambaram in 2022 for his album A Walk Through Brindavan. Among the repeat winners at the awards is Bengaluru-based artist Neecia Majolly and The Majolly Project, who also won the gold medal as emerging artist in 2015 for her song “Dark Room.”
In 2017, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, along with his sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash, were given gold medals at Global Music Awards for “outstanding contribution to the global music industry and excellence in the classical music sphere.”
Previous winners of Global Music Awards around the world include pop artists Hozier, FKA Twigs, alternative trio HAIM, composer Jesper Kyd, protest group Pussy Riot and more over the last decade.
Check out the full list of winners at this edition of Global Music Awards here.
