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Through the '90s, Udit Narayan was the closest rival of Kumar Sanu for the title of most popular male playback vocalist in Indian cinema -- no small feat, since films remain the primary vehicle for disseminating popular music to the Indian public. Though he wasn't quite as prolific as Sanu, Narayan boasted one of the most distinctive voices and original singing styles the music-reliant film industry had seen since the glory days of Mohammed Rafi (Narayan's primary initial influence) and Kishore Kumar. Narayan was born in the village of Mithla Nagri in Janakpur, near the border of Nepal; his father was a farmer and his mother a singer, and she encouraged him to pursue music as a career. For most of the '70s, Narayan worked as a singer on Nepalese radio in Kathmandu, performing Nepalese and northern Indian folk songs. In 1978, he went to Bombay -- the cinema capital of India -- on a music scholarship, and trained for eight years as a classical vocalist. During that time, he also attempted to make contacts in the film industry. Rajesh Roshan gave him an opportunity to sing in the 1980 film Unnees Bees with his hero Mohammed Rafi; he also got the opportunity to sing a small part for renowned music director R.D. Burman in another film, but despite those small victories, the '80s were by and large a decade of struggle and rejection for Narayan. All of that changed, however, in 1989. Narayan hooked up with the up-and-coming composer duo Anand-Milind, who were scoring a film for an up-and-coming young actor named Aamir Khan. Narayan's youthful-sounding voice seemed a perfect match for Khan's screen presence, and he was hired along with female vocalist Alka Yagnik to handle most of the soundtrack, including the centerpiece number "Papa Kehte Hain." Titled Qayamat Se, Qayamat Tak, the film became a blockbuster success, catapulting virtually everyone involved into stardom. Seemingly out of nowhere, the previously unknown Narayan won the 1989 Filmfare Award (sort of an Oscar and Grammy combined) for Best Male Vocalist, thanks to "Papa Kehte Hain," which had become a huge hit among Indian teens. All of a sudden, after years of hard work and obscurity, Narayan was a star. Work -- and further hit songs -- came Narayan's way at a fast and furious pace. His next film, Dil, was another hit, solidifying his newfound reputation; he sang for nearly all of India's major music directors, and dubbed songs for a wide variety of actors (a challenge for some singers whose voices may not fit the characters they are supposed to maintain). In 1995, Narayan broke Kumar Sanu's string of five straight Filmfares with his own second, for the song "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna" from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge. He won a second straight Filmfare the following year for "Pardesi Pardesi" from Raja Hindustani. Among his most notable achievements of the late '90s, Narayan recorded with the legendary Lata Mangeshkar for the film Dil To Pagal Hai, scored some of his biggest hits from the film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and won a fourth Filmfare for "Chaand Chupa" (from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). Additionally, Narayan watched his young son Aditya become an in-demand filmi vocalist himself, dubbing in song parts for child actors. ~ Steve Huey

Indian vocal prodigy Shreya Ghoshal began her impressive career at age four. Raised in a high-achieving family, parented by a nuclear engineer father and literary scholar mother, Shreya displayed immense talent early on. Trained initially by her mother, she began her formal study of Hindustani classical music in the nearby town of Kota. Her breakthrough into the mainstream media came when she auditioned and was accepted onto the music talent search show Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee TV. Ghoshal's trajectory through the competition was unstoppable, and she won both the 75th special children's episode and ultimately the children's mega-final in 1996 at the age of 12. Film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali noticed, and offered the young talent the playback role of Paro in the Bollywood feature film Devdas. In 2000 Ghoshal began recording for the film, which was released the following year. Ghoshal's career skyrocketed, and she quickly became one of Bollywood's premier playback singers, singing for the genre's most recognizable actresses. Her performance on the song "Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai" for the 2003 film Jism earned Ghoshal a spot on national airplay charts and significant success outside the film industry. Ghoshal went on to win eight industry awards for her work, including the National Award in 2003. Ghoshal's mastery of several regional languages like Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu in addition to her native Hindi marks her as a truly special talent in the Indian recording industry. Though her path through higher education has not followed a musical path, Shreya Ghoshal continues to be a staple in studios throughout India. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez