‘Love never goes out of fashion’: Kailash Kher on what keeps Kailasa’s music alive even after 20 years

Love and emotions never go out of style, says Kailash Kher who believes that the music of his band Kailasa will always remain relevant because it speaks to timeless human feelings.

It has been 20 years since Kher started Kailasa. An entire generation has grown up listening to the band’s popular tracks like “Teri Deewani”, “Tauba Tauba”, and “Saiyyan”.

Even though the music scene today is dominated by rap, electronic sounds and other new genres, emotional and spiritual music like Kailasa would continue to find an audience, Kher said.

“It’s been 20 years since Kailasa’s music began. A generation that was seven-eight years old then has grown up now. Our music remains relevant because love never goes out of fashion, emotions will always stay.”

“When people listen to Kailasa, they feel, ‘My father listened to this… I grew up with this.’ This cycle of love keeps the music alive,” Kher told PTI in an interview.

The singer said he once doubted the idea of love, but witnessing how deeply people connect with Kailasa’s music changed his perspective.

“Earlier, I used to feel that people just come to break your heart. But over the years, seeing the impact of Kailasa’s music, I realised real love still exists. As long as there is a little madness of love in the world, the earth will bloom beautifully,” Kher said.

On Friday, the 52-year-old singer and his band performed at Meher Rangat 2025, an annual folk music festival held in the national capital.

Presented by Kher and organised by Kailasa Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the cultural event was held at the Central Park Amphitheatre in Connaught Place and was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Kher and his band Kailasa delivered a high-energy set, performing favourites including “Allah Ke Bande”, “O Rangeele”, “Aadi Yogi Damru Dam Damao”, “Jai Jaikara”, “Chhaliya Ho Chhaliya”, “Meri Sakhi”, “Bam Bam Lahiri”, “Duniya Utte Patanga” and “Chak De Chak De Phatte”.

The festival is held each year on the death anniversary of Kher’s father, Pandit Meher Singh Kher.

“November 21 is a very emotional and nostalgic day for me. My father passed away on this day while he was on a pilgrimage. We observe this day as his punya-tithi. My father was originally a priest... but as a hobby, he used to sing in a raw, folk style and created his own satsang mandali, and spread folk music in the village,” Kher said.

He believes traditional folk culture is fading away in today’s modern world and to prevent it from disappearing completely, he came up with the Meher Rangat festival.

“We named it after my father... Every year, we invite folk musicians from diverse communities, give them a big stage, and present folk art to a large audience. On public demand, Kailasa also performs; now it has become a tradition—Mehar Rangat is not complete without a Kailasa performance,” Kher said.

Kher also said that even though he doesn’t get enough time to practice regularly because he travels a lot, he keeps his voice healthy through discipline and a peaceful lifestyle.

“I take care of my diet—less oil, fewer spices, and a lot of lukewarm water. Most importantly, I avoid hurting anyone. Your voice reflects your lifestyle and inner peace. If you’re mentally cluttered or troubled, it affects your body and voice,” he added.