Kannada Indie Music: 9 Artists From Raghu Dixit to Sumedh K

Kannada indie music means songs made outside the Sandalwood film system. Its best-known names are the Raghu Dixit Project and Swarathma, the two Bengaluru bands that took Kannada folk-rock to Glastonbury and the cover of Rolling Stone India. Alongside them are Vasu Dixit's solo work, singer-composers such as SaRa, Ananya Bhat and Sanjith Hegde, and a new wave led by Tanmay Gururaj's "Ninna Notavu" and Sumedh K's "Tulasi". The scene is smaller than its Tamil, Telugu or Hindi counterparts. Still, playback singer Siddhartha Belmannu told The Hindu in March 2026, "This is a golden period for Kannada independent music."

Here is who to listen to, where the sound comes from and what to play first.

Where Kannada indie music comes from

Kannada independent music grew from two roots. The first is Sugama Sangeetha and Bhavageete, Karnataka's tradition of light music set to modern Kannada poetry, which singers such as Pallavi MD still perform. The second is Bengaluru's rock culture, a city that, as our Bengaluru indie scene guide explains, has long had more live bands than almost anywhere in India.

The breakthrough came when musicians brought the two together. In 2008 Swarathma were nominated at the Jack Daniel's Indian Rock Awards, the first time a Kannada song had been nominated for such an award. The same year the Raghu Dixit Project released its debut. Since then many artists have moved between film and independent work. The News Minute noted in 2021 that the attention on independent music in south India after the Tamil hit "Enjoy Enjaami" also lifted Kannada independent artists.

The essential Kannada indie artists

1. The Raghu Dixit Project

Raghu Dixit was born in 1974 and grew up in Mysore, where he earned a master's degree in microbiology before turning to music. His Raghu Dixit Project is a multilingual folk-rock and world music band from Bengaluru that sings mainly in Kannada, Hindi and Tamil, drawing on old Kannada poetry and folk traditions. The self-titled debut came out in India in 2008 on Vishal-Shekhar's label and internationally in 2010 on Wrasse Records, reaching number one on the UK iTunes World Music chart. Jag Changa followed on 23 November 2013, and Shakkar in 2024.

The band won Best Newcomer at the Songlines Music Awards in 2011, has played more than 30 countries, appeared on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland in 2010 and performed for Queen Elizabeth II at a Diamond Jubilee pageant in 2012. "Every 200 kilometres in this country, languages change," Dixit told The Hindu, explaining why singing in a vernacular tongue is his music's strength.

• Albums: The Raghu Dixit Project (2008), Jag Changa (2013), Shakkar (2024)
• Start with: Lokada Kalaji, Gudugudiya Sedi Nodo

2. Swarathma

Swarathma formed in Mysore in 2002 when singer-songwriter Vasu Dixit met guitarist Abhinanth Kumar. Now based in Bengaluru, the band blends Indian folk and classical music with blues rock and reggae, with lyrics drawn from personal journeys and social and political themes. In 2008 they won Radio City Live, a national hunt for India's best Hindi band, which led to a debut album produced by Indian Ocean drummer Amit Kilam. Swarathma (2009) got four stars from Rolling Stone India, and the band swept Band, Song and Album of the Year at the 2009 Jack Daniel's Indian Rock Awards. Topiwalleh (2012) and Raah-e-Fakira (2018) followed. The current line-up is Vasu Dixit, Varun Murali, Sanjeev Nayak and Jishnu Dasgupta. For more acts in this vein, see our list of Indian folk fusion bands.

• Albums: Swarathma (2009), Topiwalleh (2012), Raah-e-Fakira (2018)
• Start with: Jamba, recorded with producer John Leckie for the British Council's Soundpad project

3. Vasu Dixit

Raghu Dixit's brother is a singer, guitarist, graphic designer and filmmaker. Outside Swarathma he has sung Kannada film songs and released a solo album titled Vasu Dixit. The acoustic version of his song "Nadiyolage" became a fan favourite on YouTube, and he also performs with the Vasu Dixit Collective.

• Start with: Nadiyolage

4. SaRa (Sangeetha Rajeev)

Sangeetha Rajeev, known as SaRa, is a singer and composer who works across pop, electronic dance music, folk and film songs. Trained in Hindustani and Carnatic music, she names her mother, Carnatic musician M K Sharadamba, as her inspiration. She sang "Yentane Taragathi" for the Kannada film Aane Pataaki before going on to sing in Telugu films while composing her own music. The News Minute calls her widely known as an independent artist.

• Known for: Kannada pop and reworked north Karnataka folk songs

5. Ananya Bhat

Raised in Mysuru, Ananya Bhat is a Carnatic-trained singer who sings in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu and was heard in KGF. Outside film she runs a collective, Ananya Bhat Concerts, that performs folk songs with new arrangements while preserving their original meaning. She won a Filmfare Award South for "Namma Kaayo Devane" from Rama Rama Re.

• Start with: her live rendition of the folk song Sojugada Sooju Mallige

6. Sanjith Hegde

Sanjith Hegde came to fame on the Kannada edition of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, then had a hit with "Gunu Gunuguva" from the 2017 film Dalapathi. He is trained in Hindustani classical music but known for R and B, rock and pop, and he worked on a solo independent album in 2020. Siddhartha Belmannu credits social media with building recognition for independent artists like Hegde.

• Known for: crossing between playback singing and independent pop

7. Tanmay Gururaj

Tanmay Gururaj is a tabla player who learned piano during the pandemic and calls Anirudh Ravichander his inspiration. His romantic single "Ninna Notavu", released through Sony Music South, had passed 1.07 million Spotify streams by March 2026. He told The Hindu the music took two weeks and the lyrics three months. "The Kannada industry lacked contemporary songs that appealed to the younger generation," he said.

• Start with: Ninna Notavu

8. Sumedh K

Sumedh K, the composer known for the film Su From So, fuses Purandaradasa's traditional kritis with contemporary production on "Tulasi". By March 2026 its music video had passed 5.6 million views. "We still approach it like cinema; music must come first, and the video should only reinterpret it," he told The Hindu.

• Start with: Tulasi

9. Chandan Shetty

Chandan Shetty, born in 1989, is the most commercially successful name in Kannada pop-rap. He began in 2012 as a lyricist and assistant music director and became known as a solo artist through singles such as "Halagode", "3 Peg", "Chocolate Girl" and "Tequila". His songs have also drawn controversy, including objections in 2020 to his version of the folk song "Kolumande Jangamadeva" and a plagiarism allegation in January 2025.

• Start with: Halagode

Why Kannada indie is having a moment

Three things are driving growth. Streaming lets artists reach listeners directly, which Belmannu says was absent a decade ago. Young composers such as Gururaj and Sumedh K are writing for listeners who wanted contemporary Kannada pop. And established acts like the Raghu Dixit Project have shown that independent Kannada music can sustain a career and tour the world. The open problems are money and scale. Gururaj describes financial constraints, and Belmannu argues for support from production houses and a royalty-based system to cover production costs. For a wider view of regional bands, see our guide to regional rock bands in India.

A starter Kannada indie playlist

1. Lokada Kalaji by the Raghu Dixit Project
2. Gudugudiya Sedi Nodo by the Raghu Dixit Project
3. Jamba by Swarathma
4. Nadiyolage by Vasu Dixit
5. Ninna Notavu by Tanmay Gururaj
6. Tulasi by Sumedh K
7. Halagode by Chandan Shetty

FAQ

What are some Kannada indie songs?

Start with Lokada Kalaji by the Raghu Dixit Project, Jamba by Swarathma, Nadiyolage by Vasu Dixit, Ninna Notavu by Tanmay Gururaj and Tulasi by Sumedh K.

Who are the best Kannada indie artists?

The Raghu Dixit Project, Swarathma and Vasu Dixit are the established names, alongside SaRa, Ananya Bhat and Sanjith Hegde, with Tanmay Gururaj and Sumedh K leading a newer wave.

Is Swarathma a Kannada band?

Swarathma formed in Mysore in 2002 and is based in Bengaluru. It sings in Kannada and Hindi and was the first band to have a Kannada song nominated at the Jack Daniel's Indian Rock Awards.

Who are popular Kannada rappers?

Chandan Shetty is the best-known Kannada pop-rap artist, with singles such as Halagode, 3 Peg and Chocolate Girl.

Sources

• The Hindu: Thulasi and Ninna Notavu, a fresh wave in Kannada indie music
• The News Minute: Vasu Dixit to SaRa, five indie Kannada musicians you'll love
• Wikipedia: Raghu Dixit
• Wikipedia: Swarathma
• Wikipedia: Chandan Shetty
• Wikipedia: Ananya Bhat

Cover photo: Jishnuzz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).