Veteran Bhangra singer Kuldeep Manak has established himself as one of the legends of the Punjabi music scene boasting a legion of devoted fans from all over the world. Born Latif Mohammed, the 59-year-old changed his name to Kuldip Manak after converting to Sikhism.
The son of a famous singer, Kuldip grew up in the village of Jalal in the Bathinda region. He began singing in school and local performances during his childhood and was convinced to pursue a professional career as a Bhangra singer by his teachers. He has two brothers, Siddqui who is a well known devotional singer and his other brother, Rafiq, a Tantric Buddhist who was arrested in 2003 over allegations of molestation.
By the time Kuldip turned 17 he’d developed quite a reputation for himself as a talented singer. He was then invited to perform alongside a renowned singer at the time, Seema. Following this first successful performance, Kuldip began singing regularly with Seema and her singing partner Harcharan Grewal in Delhi. At one of their numerous performances in the city, Kuldip was spotted by a record label. He then released his first single entitled Jija Akhian Na Maar Vemain Kal Di Kuri which launched him into the spotlight.
Kuldip is married with two children. His son Yudhvir Manak is a promising singer and is trying to break into the Punjabi music industry.
The appeal of Kuldip is timeless with many modern stars of Bhangra, such as Jazzy B, JK, Bhinda Jatt citing Kudip as a major influence on their music.
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