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MUSIC

Sowmya Raoh: The Bangalore Singer Who Grew Up in Her Mother's Studios

Daughter of B K Sumitra, a dubbing artist, then a playback voice in four languages and a Stardust award.

QUICK ANSWER

  • Sowmya Raoh is a playback singer born in Bangalore in 1973, the daughter of Kannada singer B K Sumitra.
  • She began playback singing in Bangalore in 1993 and has sung in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.
  • She moved to Mumbai in 2001 and won the Stardust Best New Singer award for Laila Laila in 2003.
Tariq Sallam, founder of The City 24/7 Tariq Sallam October 26, 2026 • 3 min read
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A warmly lit recording studio with a condenser microphone and headphones on a stand, a tanpura against the wall, sheet music and a mixing console behind glass

Sowmya Raoh was born in Bangalore on 18 April 1973.

“As she puts it, singing was in her genes.”

• Last.fm biography of Sowmya Raoh

Sowmya Raoh is a playback singer born in Bangalore on 18 April 1973 to the veteran Kannada singer B K Sumitra and Sudhakar, who worked at the Reserve Bank of India. She started singing on stage at seven, worked as a dubbing artist after her BA, and began her playback career in Bangalore in 1993, before moving to Mumbai in 2001.

If you hummed Laila Laila in 2003 or danced to Nach Baliye, you have heard her. Bangalore heard her first. Here is the record.

Quick Information

She tagged along to her mother's recordings as a child. Twenty years later, composers were asking for her by name.

Born
18 April 1973, Bangalore
Mother
B K Sumitra, playback and devotional singer
Brother
Sunil Raoh, actor
First stage
Age seven
Early work
Dubbing artist
Playback start
Bangalore, 1993
Moved to Mumbai
2001
Award
Stardust Best New Singer, 2003, for Laila Laila

Who Is Sowmya Raoh?

Sowmya Raoh is a playback singer who has sung in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. She grew up accompanying her mother, B K Sumitra, to recording studios and became a child singer.

How Did Sowmya Raoh Start Her Career?

She began as a dubbing artist after her BA, and started playback singing in Bangalore in 1993, going on to sing for Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films. She is credited with almost 200 songs in the south.

How Did Sowmya Raoh Get Into Bollywood?

She moved to Mumbai in 2001, and her first Hindi song was Aiyyo Aiyyo Rama in Jungle, composed by Sandeep Chowta, with whom she had worked in Bangalore.

  • Jungle Aiyyo Aiyyo Rama
  • Company Aankhon Mein Rahon
  • Samay Laila Laila
  • Bunty Aur Babli Nach Baliye
  • Welcome Title track

Which Composers Has Sowmya Raoh Sung For?

She has sung for A R Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja, Hamsalekha, Vidyasagar and Deva in the south, and Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Sandeep Chowta, Vishal Shekhar and Pritam in Hindi.

A LESSER-KNOWN FACT

Her Telugu song Greeku Veerudu, from Ninne Pelladata, topped the charts for 20 weeks in a row.

Why Does Sowmya Raoh Belong in People of Bangalore?

THEIR BANGALORE CONNECTION

She was born in Bangalore into a family of singers and started her playback career in the city.

HOW I PUT THIS TOGETHER

I haven't interviewed Sowmya Raoh for this piece. It's pieced together from online research: published interviews, news reports, books and official records, cross-checked against each other. If you know Sowmya Raoh and spot something I've got wrong, tap the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right and tell me, and I'll fix it.

FAQs

Who is Sowmya Raoh?

A Bangalore-born playback singer who has sung in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Who is Sowmya Raoh's mother?

The Kannada playback singer B K Sumitra.

Which award did Sowmya Raoh win?

The Stardust award for Best New Singer in 2003, for Laila Laila.

Where did Sowmya Raoh start her career?

In Bangalore, in 1993.

Which Song Is Yours?

Laila Laila or Nach Baliye? Tell me which Sowmya Raoh song is stuck in your head. Click the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right of your screen and tell me. That is also the easiest way to reach The City 24/7 about anything at all, including nominating someone for People of Bangalore.

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Same city, new stories, always.

Tariq Sallam, founder of The City 24/7

Tariq Sallam

FOUNDER, THE CITY 24/7

placeBangalore calendar_monthSince 1991 groupsPeople. Places. Possibilities.

Tariq Sallam is the founder of The City 24/7, a platform dedicated to celebrating everything Bangalore. Having lived in the city since 1991, he has witnessed its remarkable journey from a laid-back Garden City to one of India’s most dynamic and innovative cities.

Passionate about its people, businesses, neighbourhoods, food, culture and hidden gems, Tariq believes every corner of Bangalore has a story worth telling. When he’s not writing or interviewing inspiring Bangaloreans, you’ll find him exploring the city. And through The City 24/7, he invites you to discover Bangalore with him, one story at a time.

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