Indian Folk Fusion Songs: 21 Essential Tracks, From Kandisa to Navarasam

Folk fusion is one of the things Indian independent music does best. Bands take songs from Kabir, Rajasthani desert singers, Kannada villages or Kerala temples, and play them with electric guitars, drums and new arrangements. This page picks the 21 best Indian folk fusion songs, one track at a time, so you can hear how different bands bring old music into the present.

How we checked. Every date below is the song's own date on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), looked up by each band's Apple artist ID on 28 October 2026. Only released music is included. We leave out film soundtrack songs and remixes. Where Apple shows a 1 January or first-of-month date for an older album, we mark it "dated", because that is often a placeholder or a reissue date.

If you want to know more about the bands, read Indian folk fusion bands. For whole records in a quieter style, see Indian indie folk albums. For the traditional singers who inspire many of these songs, see Rajasthani folk singers.

Quick answer: the best Indian folk fusion songs

• "Kandisa" by Indian Ocean
• "Ma Rewa" by Indian Ocean
• "Topiwalleh" by Swarathma (2012)
• "Navarasam" by Thaikkudam Bridge (2015)
• "Hey Bhagwan" by Raghu Dixit (2010)
• "Beparwah" by Parvaaz (2014)
• "Dhuen" by Lagori (2019)

Indian Ocean: where it began

1. "Kandisa" by Indian Ocean (dated 1 March 2000). An Aramaic church chant from Kerala, turned into a long, hypnotic rock song. The track most people think of first when they hear "Indian folk fusion".

2. "Ma Rewa" by Indian Ocean (dated 1 March 2000). A folk song about the Narmada river, sung with real feeling. Also from Kandisa.

3. "Bandeh" by Indian Ocean (3 May 2005). Dark and powerful, later used in the film Black Friday.

4. "Jhini" by Indian Ocean (dated 2003). A Kabir poem set to a slow, beautiful groove.

5. "Tandanu" by Indian Ocean featuring Shankar Mahadevan (10 May 2014). The title song of a collaboration album with guest musicians from Hindustani and Carnatic music.

6. "Baagh Aayore" by Indian Ocean (15 December 2023). A recent single that shows the band is still writing new songs. More in our Indian Ocean songs guide.

Bengaluru: Swarathma and Raghu Dixit

7. "Topiwalleh" by Swarathma (11 May 2012). A funny, sharp song about politicians, and the title track of their second album.

8. "Duur Kinara" by Swarathma and Shubha Mudgal (11 May 2012). A gentle, moving duet with one of India's great classical singers.

9. "Raah E Fakira" by Swarathma (1 October 2018). Inspired by Sufi and Bhakti poetry, with a big, warm chorus.

10. "Haalaat Gazab" by Swarathma and Jumme Khan (25 January 2024). The band with a Rajasthani folk singer, from the Equals project. See Swarathma songs.

11. "Hey Bhagwan" by Raghu Dixit (dated 20 September 2010). A cheerful, foot-stomping song that became a festival singalong.

12. "Gudugudiya Sedi Nodo" by Raghu Dixit (dated 20 September 2010). A 19th-century Kannada poem by Shishunala Sharif, set to a joyful tune. Read more on the Raghu Dixit Project page.

Kerala: Thaikkudam Bridge

13. "Fish Rock" by Thaikkudam Bridge (29 August 2013). The playful song that made the Kerala band famous online.

14. "Navarasam" by Thaikkudam Bridge (25 July 2015). A big, heavy song built on the nine emotions of Indian classical art. The title track of their debut album.

15. "Kalliyankatt Neeli" by Thaikkudam Bridge featuring Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (30 November 2019). From Namah, mixing a Kerala folk story with slide guitar. More in Thaikkudam Bridge songs.

Kashmir and the North: Parvaaz

16. "Beparwah" by Parvaaz (22 August 2014). Kashmiri and Urdu lyrics over psychedelic guitars, from the album Baran.

17. "Zubaan" by Gazi Khan and Parvaaz (12 July 2019). The band with a Manganiyar singer from Rajasthan, recorded for the Equals sessions.

18. "Kun" by Parvaaz (18 October 2019). The title song of their second album, slow and haunting. See Parvaaz songs.

Newer voices: Lagori

19. "Dhuen" by Lagori (9 August 2019). A Mumbai band mixing Rajasthani melodies with rock and electronic sounds.

20. "Swaha" by Lagori featuring Rahul Dit-O and MC Bijju (5 March 2020). Folk fusion meets rap.

21. "Boom Shankar" by Lagori (10 December 2021). From the album Inside Out, built for a live crowd.

How to listen

• New to folk fusion: start with "Kandisa", then "Navarasam".
• Want something gentle: "Duur Kinara" and "Jhini".
• Want something loud: Thaikkudam Bridge and Lagori.

FAQ

What is folk fusion in Indian music? It means taking traditional Indian folk songs or poetry and playing them with modern instruments such as electric guitar, bass and drums.

Which Indian band started folk fusion? Indian Ocean, formed in Delhi in 1990, are usually seen as the band that made the style popular.

Does this list include unreleased songs? No. Only songs already released on Apple Music India are included.