Winning a prize for Culture Crossing at this year’s Radio 3 Awards is yet another achievement to add to Nitin Sawhney’s list which includes a BBC World Music Award in 2002, MOBO award for the album ‘Prophesy’ and a Mercury Music Prize Nomination for the album ‘Beyond Skin’. Sawhney was born in Rochester in Kent, at a time when there were few ethnic families in this area. It was therefore at an early age that music began to play a large part in Sawhney’s life as a form of release and expression of his pride in his Asian heritage. Sawhney’s talents are varied, and before he produced his seven stunning albums he studied Law at Liverpool University and was even part of the team that created the ground-breaking comedy program “Goodness Gracious Me”. He has not only produced solo albums but has produced remix compilations and remixed tracks by artists such as MJ Cole and Sting.

Sawhney’s musical style encompasses so many different elements it is hard to pinhole it to one genre, being influenced by not only traditional Indian music, but an impressive list including jazz, soul, funk and electronica. Those who have followed his music will be aware of its incredible versatility and ability to move and inspire the listener. The music is so emotional and expressive that you cannot help but feel that it comes from a very personal place. It is refreshing to hear music that is innovative, encompasses multiple musical styles and emotions and also pushes so many boundaries. As each of his tracks is beautifully constructed, creating real aura, you can easily understand why Sawhney’s music has been used in theatrical, film and television scores. It is what music is meant to be like, ambitious, poignant and expressive.

As Sawhney is a man who wants to communicate his views he has appeared on numerous current affairs programmes, written articles for some of the most prominent newspapers and lectured for Open University. Being able to play a remarkable range of instruments, including the tablas and guitar, it is apparent that he is not only gifted but also an incredibly busy man! Nitin Sawhney has such a varied range of interests that it will be intriguing to see what direction he ventures into next. There certainly could be no more deserving musician in the boundary crossing category of the Radio 3 Awards for World Music as his compositions not only blend a wide variety of musical styles but are used to express his feelings on what is occurring in the world. This is perfectly demonstrated in his piece ‘Neural Circuits’ that used samples of coverage of the events of 11th September.

Always keen to include as many cultural influences in his music as possible, Sawhney has also visited to Nelson Mandela’s house to interview him. His album ‘Displacing The Priest’ is a prime example of Sawhney’s personal influence in his music as he communicates his views on spirituality and religion. His album ‘Prophecy’, which was released in 2001, was an incredible achievement for him as he endeavoured to record over 200 musicians from all areas of the world to include on it. This worldwide venture also turned out to be an incredible spiritual journey.

Through the medium of music Sawhney has conveyed his views on religion and politics and also experimented with the combination of different cultural influences. An artist such as Sawhney, who has such range and impact throughout all of his albums is not only inspiring and innovative but also acts as a driving force to help the music industry develop and evolve. The fact that Sawhney’s talent has been recognised by his collection of awards and nominations is reassuring as it means that music that is unusual and enriching is being brought to the attention of as many people as possible.