Take a look at these popular Indian female DJs!
EDM and a woman? Not a chance! Well, we’d like to tell you that it’s absolutely possible! While we speak of feminism, we should leave no stone unturned. DJing is a profession where you may not find many women let alone Indian women. But today times have changed and women are breaking stereotypes in every profession.
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Only a handful of Indian DJs make it to the international circuit of music and female Indian DJs are even lesser in number. Almost everyone likes to dance and enjoy the tunes of DJ mixes, but most of our DJs face many obstacles to make a name for themselves in the Indian music industry. Just as in every other industry, the electronic dance music stage also faced its issues with gender disparity until a few years ago. This perhaps has, unfortunately, ignored a lot of worthy talent that could have made the world of music a better place.
But things have changed now for good. People have become more aware of gender disparities and realized what they were missing upon.The emergence of female DJs was a welcoming development in the electronic music scene. The crowd became more significant, and women were inspired and welcomed to have an unconventional career as a DJ.
The decision may have been primarily taken to introduce equality on the stage, but it leaves no scope of doubt that female DJs are equally talented and popular as their male counterparts in almost all forms of music; even surpassing them at times.
Here are the top female DJs in India:
1. DJ Pearl
A globetrotter and Funk maestro, DJ Pearl, who’s in search of new sounds constantly, comes from a family of music enthusiasts. She is s one of the top female DJ in India with the sickest of beats and is based out of Goa.
Additionally, she is still the only Indian DJ to play at the Ministry of Sound in London, and the celebrated Pacha in Ibiza. On being asked about her best work she said, “I made a compilation for J00F Recordings, which is very close to my heart. That record label is owned by one of my favorite DJs, John 00 Fleming and I found so much of my style of music in its catalog. She has evolved her own bass-driven music that surpasses Funk, Progressive, Electro, and Tech House genres. Therefore, she has become one of the top female DJs in India.
She was the one who introduced House music in India. Pearl has launched the first and largest EDM company in India, called Submerge, along with her husband Nikhil Chinapa, and a friend Hermit Sethi. They provide a platform for upcoming DJs to showcase their talents and music. They’ve booked Zedd, Swedish House Mafia, Tiësto, John ’00’ Fleming and many more artists to perform in India. Pearl being one of the most famous female DJ is redefining the art of being a DJ.
2. Ma Faiza
Ma Faiza is known as the Mother of Electronica in India. She was born in Africa and brought up in Britain, and hence she has something unique to offer in the Indian EDM scene. She is one of the top female DJs in India as she is the busiest, high-profile, highest paid, most successful, and the most famous female DJ India has ever seen the previous decade. Ma Faiza has totally redefined the electronic music scene in India.
She has been DJing since 1998 and has performed at Berlin’s iconic KitKat Club. She has been evolving her sound since she started playing and has transformed from the psychedelic trance music scene into the finest electronic dance music which we popularly call EDM. She never fails to be in her element behind the deck whether she plays techno, progressive trance, dirty house or chilled, ambient grooves.
Ma Faiza has a commanding presence wherever she performs and unlike other DJs, she doesn’t just twiddle knobs or push buttons. She is fully engaged with the crowd as well as her music. She refuses to be limited by tempo or style free of borders or boundaries as she blurs the line between different genres and cultures. She has become the leading light of the EDM scene in India.
3. DJ Gouri
Gouri Sharma, a proactive Air-Hostess (with Air India) and an MBA from Symbiosis, is a self-taught disc jockey. Subtle, classy and trendy is what defines her. Began DJ’ing in 2014, she holds command over Trap, Hip-Hop, Psychedelic, Commercial House and Electro; and manages to shuffle in between passion and profession pretty well. She looks up to Nucleya and Chris Lake for her musical inspiration.
She is very well confident and one of the top female DJs in India, she is amongst the very few women to make it in the Macho world. Gouri Sharma, a full-time Air hostess & a DJ, juggles her profession and passion so easily and effortlessly, but we all know it not a cakewalk when you have to switch from the dance floor to the turntable. Being one of the most popular female DJs, she has been sizzling the most happening dance floors in India and across the globe. She has her own charm and unique style with her young and sexy attitude fires up the stage wherever she goes.
She has explored many genres of music with her own skills, style, spontaneity and class, which makes her very flexible in her music style to suit any crowd. Her music became the newest style statement as she carved a niche for herself in flying and music. She has maintained both her career and passion so well that is why she has made a name for herself in India and abroad today.
4. DJ Shireen
Started as the youngest female DJ in 2005, this Kolkata-born and Mumbai-based DJ has been in business for the last 16 years and had made it to the National Finale of the Times War of DJs. The ‘Goddess of Progressive Music’ in India was a beginner at DJing at the age of 19 and hit the music scene of India with her hottest and craziest beats. She has also earned the title of ‘Rockstar DJ’.
Her full name is Shireen Aida Khan. Because of her youthful looks, people often mistake her for a college student, when in a crowd. But, her looks might fool you when you see her on the stage rocking it with Bollywood, Progressive, Commercial House, and Electro music. She is reigning the DJ scene since 2005 and was the youngest DJ in the country then. Not to mention, she’s known for her power-packed rapping skills. Also, her EDM album ONE released worldwide in 2015, December, on Jabukka Music.
With more than 32 lakh followers on Facebook and 95.5K subscribers on YouTube, she has permanently fixed her spot in India’s top female DJs. She also happens to be the brand ambassador of V-Moda headphones. Ranked as ‘No. 1 Female DJ’ by Web and featured in ‘Top 10 DJs in India’ by Exhibit Magazine, she has proved ‘wish it, work for and achieve it‘ absolutely correct.
5. DJ Paroma
Paroma Chatterjee, one of the top female DJ, is a Mumbai-based DJ and a former Air Hostess with Jet Airways. She became a cabin crew at the age of 18 but her love for music took her to different cubs where she discovered several genres of music. And that is when she decided to get into DJing. She became the brand ambassador for V-Moda and UDG Gear (representing India on their worldwide website amongst the world’s top DJs). She is known as one of the popular DJs in India due to her performances in countless nightclubs, college fests and corporate gigs. She was the official DJ of Extraaa Innings IPL 7 (2014) and one of Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil’ Champs (2016,2017). She was the 2nd runners-up (2014-15) and the 1st Runners-Up (2015-16) for Best Bollywood DJ in MyFavAwards. Also, having won the Best Female DJ (2018-19) by WOW Awards, Asia, she definitely qualifies as one of the best female DJs in India.
6. DJ Megha Kawale
Sculpting out a place for herself in the male-dominated DJ industry has been quite a journey for DJ Megha Kawale. Therefore, ‘Queen of the Console’ is what she is known as. She is a supermodel and one of the first Indian female DJs. It has been years since her beginning, and she still makes the crowd move with her fingers. Sh is rightly known as one of the hottest female DJs of the country.
Starting her career at the age of 17, Megha played at the widely known ‘members only’ club, in the 1900s, as the resident DJ. She played at the Taj Mahal Hotel for approximately six consecutive years. Megha has achieved remarkable feats. Her music genre includes electro and tech-house music along with Progressive, Commercial Club, and Bollywood. She blends Progressive music with minimalist sound perfectly; and trust us, she does it quite effortlessly. She is the one DJ that everyone can look up to as apart from being a Model (she was crowned Miss Talented in Femina Miss India’s 2001), she also owns a Pilates studio and she has the title of being the first female DJ of India.
On being asked about her experience, she said that ‘a female DJ’s mistake is never overlooked‘, thus, she had a hard time making a mark because there were people pushing her down continuously. It took a lot of persuasion and stubbornness on her end to have a career like this back when she began. But she had had all qualities to become a DJ and now, when she looks back, she’s only proud of all the efforts she has made.
7. DJ Kini Rao
Kicking off her stint as a resident DJ at Hyderabad’s Poison, Kini has been creating quite a name for herself in the electronic music space. With rhythm in her soul, funk in her attitude, Kini has been steadily creating waves in the house music scene in India.
Starting off as resident DJ at Poison Hyderabad, Kini rose through the ranks to open for massive headline acts such as GO: Madras as well as opening the party at India’s biggest electronic music event – Sunburn in Goa.
Her passion for a deeper sound was showcased regularly at Zenzi Mills (Bombay). Her other notable gigs include an after-hours set at Bar25 (Berlin), Villian’s Club & Oakroom (Copenhagen) & Public Life (London). She is currently a resident DJ and an artist programmer at F Bar Mumbai, a brand extension of the international lifestyle channel Fashion TV.
Doing complete justice to her cheeky self, Kini’s sound can best be described as an ambivalent mélange of distorted kicks, crispy hats, funky basslines & quirky melodies. With four releases already under her belt on respected labels such as Maktub and Whose Haus and more to come, Kini is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
8. DJ Priyanjana
Kolkata-born and Mumbai-based Priyanjana Ghoshal has worked her way upwards to be signed by ‘Slick!’ which is one of the country’s quickest growing EDM agencies. A familiar name at Sunburn, she secured residencies at some of the country’s hottest clubs at the beginning of her career. Thereafter, she also graced almost all top festivals like Krank, Echos of the Earth, and Supersonic. She has a massive following in Abu Dhabi, where she recently played at the F1 Finale 2018.
One of the most sought-after opening performers, who has opened for artists like Wolfpack, GuyJ, Sharam, and Skazi. She was also amongst the three top DJs in the House category of the reputable MyFavAwards, 2014. Once she walks up to the decks, you can’t help but feel groovy. Her infectious smile, and her ability to engage with the crowd and build her set around the vibe she gets is a rarity and makes her one of the top DJs in the country. Recently, she got residency at the newly opened Kitty Su and weekend after weekend she performs jazzy, unique and foot-stomping sets.
9. DJ J-Ya
DJ J-YA was born Jaya Melwani in Kolkata and is currently in Mumbai. She is famous for her tremendous passion for music which was piling-up inside her since her childhood. As she grew up, she turned her passion into a career choice and became one of the top DJs of India. She has played in many famous gigs and her beats have kept the crowd rolling.
DJ Jaya was a resident DJ at Bling (Mumbai) and Tantra & Soho (Kolkata). This entertainer has made Kangana Ranaut’s birthday bash a vivacious affair. Additionally, she made Saif and Kareena’s anniversary party groovy. She co-performed with Bally Sagoo, Bohemia, played for ‘Rakhi Ka Swayamwar’, and performed with DJ Aqeel. She has also performed at the premiere of the film ‘Rock On’.
10. Paper Queen
Paper Queen might be new to the EDM scene of India, but she’s no less than any of the pros. With her aim to set foot on the big stage & she is eager to prove herself and become the brightest new talents to debut in the thriving Indian music scene. Mentored by the legendary DJ Uri (UK), she attended an intensive 6-month DJ course learning to become very versatile in the art of DJ’ing and be able to play comfortably on Vinyls, CD’s & Controllers.
Under the guidance of her mentor, she has learned the Old Skool method of being a DJ and has a knack for playing the right track for the right audience. Paper Queen has set the right music selection with the unique blend of Hip Hop Influenced Trap, Future Bass & Hard-Style to the cooler side of EDM. She is ready to make her mark on the world with her signature music style.
11. DJ Kary Arora
The first female Indian DJ (acc. to Limca Book of Records), Kary, began DJ’ing back in 1997. She joined a sound and light company in Delhi to hone her digital learning of the console. She started learning the nitty-gritty of music in between shifting jobs. Her primary training of keyboard and music came from Guru Ravi Prakash, after which she pursued Audio Engineering to improve her skills of songwriting from SAE Institute in Chennai. She’s been a globetrotter since then, playing at different parts of the world.
Her kitty holds jingles to Bollywood songs and her forte ranges from being a DJ to music composer to singer and many more. From her first single in 2008, ‘Funny Happy B’day to U’ for Meow FM to releasing two singles ‘Sanware ki Dhun‘ and ‘De De Deedaar De‘ with Spectral Records in 2013, she made a huge career difference. Notably, in 2013, she debuted as a music composer for the Bollywood film ‘Satya 2’ with the song ‘Satya is Back Again‘. She, furthermore, composed the song ‘Tinko ke Sahare‘ (2015) for the film Angry Indian Goddesses. Kary featured in the documentary 360 Degree DJs and was ranked as one in top five DJs in Delhi for two years.
12. DJ Angel
A drummer before she turned into a world-class DJ, Angel Johall, started spinning back in 2007. She is a versatile DJ who also doubles up as a stylist. She has successful track remixes from films like Aashiqui 2, Shaadi Ke Side effects, Dedh Ishqiya, Dishkiyaoon, Heropanti, Creature, Kick, Tevar, Boss, Bullet Raj, Jai Ho, R. Rajkumar, Khamosiyaan, and Roy. Her musical style compromises of Electronic House, Pop House, and Bollywood. She has more than five lakh followers on Facebook. Therefore, it is evident that she’s quite a diva in the international clubs of Chicago, Toronto, Dubai, Dhaka, etc.
13. Dj Ishani
Dj Ishani is known to be one of the few and best Indian female Djs in India. A Delhi girl who is living in Mumbai, Ishani Majumdar is popularly knowns as Dj Ishani. Her style resonates with new generation beats, which makes her more relatable and famous! She usually plays hip hop and has opened for international acts such as DJ- Mark Da Spot,DJ Doc, Camouflage, and DJ Power A.K.A The Soul Controller.
She started her journey of DJing in 2005 and is now a resident DJ at the popular Mumbai nightlife joints namely, Zenzi and Zenzi Mills. She is also one of the content writers and chief-editors of a well known blog. She has performed all over India, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Chennai, Lucknow, and Surat.
14. Nina & Mallika
Nina & Malika are India’s most dynamic DJ duo, who are a prominent figure in the Indian EDM Industry. They have done shows all over the country and are popularly known as The Electrovertz. They are highly in demand for shows such as college fests as they have performed at India’s most prestigious college festivals; IITs, NSIT Delhi, NIFT Mumbai, Symbiosis Pune to name a few. They have been the star performers at the IPTL after-party in front of a celebrity audience, including Roger Federer, Deepika Padukone, Rafael Nadal and Sania Mirza.
Nina & Malika are the perfect examples of commercially successful DJs and they endorsed luxury brands like Vogue India, GQ Magazine, Rolling Stones India, L’oreal, and Diesel. They’ve even showcased events like the H&M store launch in Delhi, Jaguar’s Land Rover Car launch across 5 Indian Cities, Jack Daniel’s annual celebration, and Ciroc Sundowners/Nights.
15. DJ Barkha Kaul
Barkha Kaul, a model who has walked the ram for some of the best designers of India like Satya Paul, JJ Valaya, Amit Talwar, Shantanu & Nikhil etc. She has crowned Miss Agra in 1999. Currently, she is one of the top female DJ’s in India and has opened for Suketu, Akbar Sami, Akhtar, Sunny Sarid. She has also been awarded as the Best DJ from Delhi and 1st runner up on National Level in MirchiMix Bappi Lahiri Dj Contest 2012.
The list keeps ever-growing and glorifying with the passing time as new talents join hands with the maestros. Above are the 10 top Indian female DJs ruling not just charts but the hearts of people around the globe.
