Anita Lerche

In 2001, Lerche performed the duet song "Mit Hjerte Det Banker (My Heart Is Beating)" alongside Simon Munk as a part of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest.[9] She also sang the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, at the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Brian Nielsen.[10] Her performance, at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, was broadcast live worldwide to more than 200 million viewers.

After acting and singing in numerous musical theatre productions, including Sommer i Tyrol (The White Horse Inn) where she played the part of Annelise,[11] Anita released her first solo album, I Love a Piano in 2005. The album includes some of her favorite songs from musical theatre and pop. It also features soft renditions of the American folk song "The House of the Rising Sun" and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven." She also recorded "Tid til Kærlighed (Time For Love)" as a part of the Danish charity telethon DM i indsamling 2005–Forældreløse børn i Afrika.[12]

In addition to being the year Lerche released her debut album, 2005 was also the year her musical career took a major turn. While hiking in the Indian Himalayas on vacation, she fell in love with Punjabi music and culture. Lerche and her friends stayed at an apple orchard owned by Anurag Sood in Parvati Valley, district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.[13] It was during her trek through Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh that she came into contact with Indian tribal music.

Lerche's friend Gunnar Mühlmann, the tour organizer and musician, suggested that she record some of the tribal songs together with the tribal people—as an East-Meet-West-Project.[14] Anurag, the owner of the apple orchard, liked the idea so much that he invited her to his home in Hoshiarpur to record the songs.[8] During the bus ride into Punjab, however, Lerche heard Punjabi music for the very first time as it played over the vehicle's radio.[7] Thinking about that ride, she said, “The music and the rhythms were so inspiring, I wanted to dance there and then in the bus. I felt that this was the music I had been looking for.”[6] She decided to cancel all of her concerts back in Europe to stay in India and learn about Punjabi music and culture.[1][15]

Over the following three months in Hoshiarpur, Anurag and his family helped Lerche learn to sing in Punjabi.[16] “It was very challenging getting the right pronunciation, and we spend lots of time refining it," she said. "It is very important to me to understand the literal meaning of each word and the full story of the songs I am singing.”[15]

Lerche also received instruction from the late Rattan Singh Rajput, who was one of the driving forces behind her first Punjabi album.[14] Rattan Singh also taught her how to sing in Hindi, including Bollywood songs and the traditional Hindu worship songs called Bhajans. Lerche said that “Rattan Singh Rajput taught and rectified all the pronunciation and meanings of my lyrics and the stories behind my songs.”[17]

In 2006, after months of living in India, learning about the culture, practicing Punjabi and recording music, Lerche finally released her first Punjabi album, Heer from Denmark.[1][18] Critics lauded the album, describing Lerche as “captivating audiences across India with her unique and electrifying performances. Huge crowds and fans flocked to see her across India when the blonde bombshell hit with her Punjabi rhythms and soundtracks.”[19]

Lerche selected songs for the album from multiple songwriters, including Chann Gorayanwala, who wrote "Passport," [20] Satwinder Bhanewala, who wrote "Gori," [21] and Jaggi Singh, among others. Lerche also wrote the song "Goddess" for the album. Concerning the album, producer Satvinder Singh said, “With lot of hard work, today we got success.”[16]

Throughout Heer from Denmark, Lerche pays tribute to the rich Punjabi culture. She received special praise for her performance of the traditional song "Heer," which is based on the classic Punjabi tragic romance Heer Ranjha by Waris Shah. The Times of India reported: “Anita has also rendered traditional ‘Heer’ in the album and succeeded in imbuing the depth, pain and passion of the rich composition. ... In fact, going by her style and pronunciation, one would get the impression that she is a Punjabi only to discover that she is white.”[6]

In the wake of the publicity that she received for Heer from Denmark, Lerche was given many opportunities to perform in India, which helped make her a prominent figure in Punjabi music. For instance, Lerche created a Hindi song to celebrate the Indian Cricket team during the World Cup in both 2007 and 2011.[4] The cricket songs were set to the tune of Lerche’s hit "Gori," with the words changed to support India's most popular team. Both years, Lerche performed the songs on television multiple times, including one special performance for the team in 2007 live on STAR TV India.[22]

Lerche also continued to record new music. In 2009, she collaborated with the rapper Cheshire Cat to create the song "Maahiya."[19][23] The track mixes Lerche's Punjabi vocals with Cheshire Cat's reggae rap. "Maahiya" won the World Music Track of the Year 2009 from the Danish Music Awards for its blending of disparate musical traditions.[24] This was special for Lerche, because it was the first time she received a major award from her home country.[25]

In 2010, Lerche collaborated on the track "Aao Ji," along with musicians Yaz Alexander, Kiureli Sammallathi and Skibu.[26] The collaboration was arranged by Bhangra musician and producer King Gurcharan Mall, and the track was backed by his Indian drum group, Dhol Blasters.[27]

Lerche's desire to sing and dance in a Bollywood film was the subject of a 2010 documentary, Fra Herlev til Bollywood. The half-hour documentary, directed by Gry Louise Kolind, follows Lerche's journey to Mumbai as she tried to break into the Bollywood scene.[28] The film was broadcast on DR2, a prominent Danish Broadcast Corporation television station. The film once again allowed Lerche to be recognized in her homeland, and it also allowed the people of Denmark to glimpse the beauty of India. About the documentary and her desire to perform in Bollywood films, Lerche said, “I know if I have the passion, and work hard, I have a chance, because I carry a Bollywood dream in my heart. And I know everything is possible in India!” [29]

Kolind said that because one of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation stations had been playing Bollywood movies every Saturday, popular interest in the movies had grown. So she wanted to show the people who are in Bollywood, as well as those who wish to get involved in the industry. “And of course, there's the developing story of Anita and her struggles in Bollywood as well. Since Anita is a well-known name in Denmark, and she's done well for herself in Punjab, we wanted to see how far she could go.”[29]

In 2011, Lerche was a featured artist on the recording of a musical drama, The Bollywood Trip. She sang on the tracks "Soniye," along with Vicky Singh and Stephan Grabowski, and "Mahia Ve" with Stephan Grabowski.[30]

In 2012, producer Agiapal Singh Randhawa created a documentary about Lerche's life, achievements and love of Punjabi culture, called Kashish Punjab Di.[15][31] The documentary was broadcast on India's DD Punjabi.

In 2013, Lerche released three singles from her album Sadke Punjab Ton, which was released in October 2014. The Tribune India reported on the album: “Anita Lerche has embodied and furthered Punjabi culture through her music. Her [latest] album ‘Sadke Punjab Ton’ does highlight both her appreciation of Punjabi culture and her evolution as a Punjabi Singer.”[31]

The title track came out in April and "Sammi" in July. For both singles, the music was produced by Gurmoh with lyrics by Dr. Tejinder Harjit. Lerche has said that "Sammi" pays tribute to all of the Indian women who have enriched the Punjabi culture through music and dance.[6] Critics have reported that “Sadke Punjab Ton does highlight her appreciation and growing knowledge of Punjabi culture, but Anita lets her classical training shine in her new single ‘Merea Ranjha.’”[32]

According to Lerche, "Merea Ranjha" was inspired by her personal life as well as her love of the classical folk tale on which the song "Heer" is based.[33] Of the track, she said, “Heer Ranjha, by Waris Shah, has inspired me a lot throughout the years, and on a full-moon night a few years ago, I suddenly felt this profound desire and was longing more than ever to be united with my Ranjha. ‘Merea Ranjha’ came to life at this moment, and later my composition and lyrics were beautifully produced in Denmark by the renowned Nasima Music.”[34]

In December 2013, Lerche performed at a fundraiser for Christel House International, an organization that provides support programs and services for underprivileged children, to raise awareness about the organization’s work in India.[5][35] Concerning the performance, Examiner.com reported: “Indeed, Lerche has one of those truly unique voices; strong, powerful, well-rounded, classically trained, and capable of singing any genre of music and in numerous languages.”[36] The performance was held at the Cook Theater. KP Singh, an artist and Sikh community leader in Indianapolis, expressed his excitement about the performance, writing: “I am familiar with Ms. Lerche's sensational talent and efforts to introduce Sikh sacred music and the robust Punjabi Bhangra music to the Western audiences.”[37][38]

In 2014, Lerche became a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences–Chicago Chapter, after moving to the United States as a permanent resident. "I managed to obtain a Green Card as a unique artist in Punjabi culturally inspired music after two long years, but it was all worth it," she told one news outlet.[39] Lerche continues traveling the globe and spreading Punjabi culture and music.[40]

Lerche's fourth solo album, "Bhajans", was released in 2016 and consists of eight Hindi devotional songs. This is the first full Hindi album from Lerche. The album went straight to #6 on Billboard New Age Chart as a Hot Shot Debut the first week of release [41] as well as #11 on the Billboard World Music chart [42] and peaked in October as #5 on Billboard New Age Chart [43] and #6 on Billboard World Music chart [44]

In 2018, the Embassy of India in Copenhagen chose Lerche to represent Denmark in the grand video collaboration of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite Bhajan Vaishnav Jan To, sung in Gujarati.[45] Lerche’s visuals were filmed in Nyhavn and Tivoli Gardens in cooperation with Visit Denmark and the Danish Cultural Institute. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the collaboration video as a part of the 150-year birthday celebration of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 2019, Lerche debuted as a Radio Host on Rukus Avenue Radio, the world’s largest South Asian Radio Station with over 6 million listeners a month, exclusively on Dash Radio.[46] She had a weekly show that featured Devotional music and later contemporary music and interviews with artists from the World music scene for two years.

Lerche’s 5th solo album’ Love Is My Religion’ was released in 2020.[47] The album, written and composed by herself and produced with GRAMMY®Award Winning slack-key guitarist Jim “Kimo” West, is a unique and beautiful fusion of East & West with a strong message of love and unity across borders and religions. The album was beautifully reviewed by Best New Age CDs.[48]

Lerche performed her first Sikh sacred Shabad back in 2012 at a Vishesh Kirtan Darbar at her birthplace in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has since had several recitations of Shabads in various Gurdwaras globally. The deep appreciation from Sikhs worldwide and having lived in Punjab for over a decade inspired her to record Sikh sacred music. With her 2022 released single ‘Simran’, Lerche celebrates and recreates the time-honored Sikh devotional tradition of rhythmic chanting of sacred words during worship.[49]

Lerche’s favorite Sikh sacred hymn ‘Mil Mere Pritma Jiyo’ was released in 2023 on Hola Mohalla and International Women’s Day as a musical offering and tribute to the global Sikh community.[50] Filmmaker Dr. Harjit Singh captured the mesmerizing visuals of various Gurdwaras and the River Beas in Punjab, and Emmy-winning videographer Nate Heck filmed Lerche’s visuals.

During the New York Fashion Week 2023 Lerche got to perform her original Punjabi songs on the Runway on Broadway in Gotham Hall,[51] representing the Randhawa Brands.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the largest children’s museum in the world, has Lerche featured as a Devotional Singer at the dome theater of their “Sacred Places” Exhibit.[52] Her live performance of the Sikh Sacred Hymn “Mil Mere Pritma Jiyo” was documented during the Vaisakhi festival celebrations in the oldest Sikh Gurdwara of Indianapolis. The Exhibit will be traveling to other sites in the US in 2024.