Mukhtar

Mukhtar Sahota is a music producer born in Wolverhampton. Brought up in a musical family, he had a natural flair for music, and can play multiple instruments — all of them self-taught.

Mukhtar and his brothers decided to pursue a career in music in the final years of school. They formed a band called the Sahotas and had a very successful career with nine albums, coupled with tours around the world, and topped the Bhangra charts. The Sahotas achieved many accolades including Best Band, Best Live Band, and platinum and gold discs for album sales. Mukhtar wanted to take a different direction with his solo projects, as the band decided to take a long-deserved break.

Mukhtar’s debut album, Time Out, was released in 2002. This album featured various artists from India, including the debut collaboration with Lehmber Hussainpuri, which was a new experience for him as he had always worked with the band. The album proved to be a success and showed the diversity of his production. Mukhtar was urged to record his next album, 4 The Muzik.

4 The Muzik was released in August 2004, an album featuring some big names in the Asian music industry alongside various up-and-coming artists from India. Mukhtar, influenced by desi (traditional), reggae, dance, rap and rock, fused these together with his own distinctive sound to produce this album. The first video from the album was for a track called Jogi, a fusion of rock and Bhangra music. This track and video was the most talked-about production in the Asian media, and gained interest from the mainstream media.

After the major South Asian disasters in 2004 and 2005, Mukhtar produced and arranged the charity single We Can Make It Better by Donasian. The money raised from this single went to the victims of the tragedies. The concept was inspired by the Band Aid single, and sixteen Asian artists from around the world were united from a list constructed by Mukhtar. The project allowed him to bring forth up-and-coming talent alongside established artists, and was a great experience as a music producer working alongside A R Rahman.

In 2006 Mukhtar set up his own record company, Internalmusic, to give him full control of his work and to provide a platform for established, new and up-and-coming talent. Mukhtar united with Arif Lohar for his first release under Internalmusic and produced an album called 21st Century Jugni, re-introducing some classics of Alam Lohar and hits from Arif Lohar. The album brought Arif Lohar to the sound of the 21st century with the distinctive sound of Mukhtar. It received an exceptional response from around the world, and awards for Best Folk Pop Album, Best Non-Residential Punjabi Vocalist and Best Folk Pop Vocalist at the Punjabi Music Awards in India in March 2007.

In May 2007 Mukhtar released Unpredictable, an album featuring Lakhwinder Wadali and his father Puran Chand Wadali. The album featured an array of musical genres including Arabic, electronic beats and a qawali, culminating in an innovative musical feast. It has been appreciated and applauded by musicians from around the world and has had a positive reception from all generations.