Nitin Sawhney, a musical polymath, wears many hats: of composer, producer, album artist, club DJ, songwriter, broadcaster, multi-instrumentalist, orchestrator, curator, lecturer and so on. He has collaborated with and written for leading names in music and scored extensively for films, television series, theatre, dance and video games.
Nitin has 11 studio albums to his name, and performed at several prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl and Sydney Opera House. An acclaimed flamenco guitarist and classical/jazz pianist, he transcends the cultural barriers within the musical world, and is equally admired among both the classical and pop communities.
Last year, he wrote 32 compelling tracks for Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, the Netfilx film directed by Andy Serkis, capturing the terrified feeling of a boy in the jungle caught between the world of animals and the world of humans. For Nitin, who grew up in a Punjabi family in Rochester, Kent in the 1970s facing racist abuse on a daily basis - he was the only Asian in his class at school - this was a familiar ground.
As a boy he used to feel like an outsider, and the theme of an outsider figuring out his place in two changing worlds, is something Nitin can easily empathise with. Music was his means to socialise and overcome the vulnerability, and he explores themes of multiculturalism and spirituality in his music. He also uses his art to state his politics. Earlier this year, he waded into the Brexit mess in his unique way, with an interesting post-referendum oratorio featuring Andy Serkis as Theresa May.
Nitin’s artistic career first took wings in comedy, when he joined forces with his friend from the university Sanjeev Bhaskar to form the comedy team Secret Asians. Hit BBC television sketch Goodness Gracious Me was an extension of the pair’s show on BBC Radio. Nitin, however, returned to music in 1993, releasing his debut album Spirit Dance.
The next two and half decades would see him establishing himself as a cultural pioneer. He was honoured with the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and received a CBE in 2019 New Year Honours. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA. He was awarded six honorary doctorates and lectured at universities around the world.
He also lends his weight to the promotion of arts and music, through his association with various international festivals and cultural organisations. He has been a patron of the government’s Access to Music (now Access Creative College) programme and served on the advisory committee to the government on national musical education policy.
