CURTAIN CALL

Self-made artist manager SONALI SINGH is the force behind many talents in the music industry - including but not limited to Diljit Dosanjh. In a chat with Femina, she talks about the behind-the-scenes-role she plays in her artists' careers, the importance of faith, and her idea of a legacy.

- By Sharon D'Silva and Ashwini Arun Kumar

If you don't know Sonali Singh, but you do know Diljit Dosanjh and his chartbusting songs, it's a good day at the office for the talented manager of one the world's best singers. Diljit is just one of the many talents the founder of artist management agency Ripple Effect Studios manages from the Hindi and Punjabi film and music industries. If you like crunching numbers, here are some riveting ones: She's been managing artists for over 16 years; been a tour producer for Diljit's Born To Shine and Dil-Luminati worldwide concerts; helmed 11 sold-out shows across the United Kingdom and Europe as a part of the same tour (FYI: more than 54,000 people came to see Diljit at his show held in BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, making it the biggest Punjabi music concert ever held outside India). And, last year, she became the first Indian artist manager to receive Billboard's Global Manager of the Year award for her impact on the world music scene. Despite amassing such success, when you speak with Sonali, you realise she's just getting started. In fact, with a restaurant coming up in Mumbai, she's branching out and adding accomplishments to her already-impressive resume.

EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW: What did winning Billboard's Global Manager of the Year mean to you?

Winning Billboard's Global Manager of the Year in 2024 was an incredibly humbling moment. Personally, it was symbolic of every trial, surrender, and leap of faith. It was less about the trophy and more about the journey – years of persistence, trust, and choosing to walk a path that wasn't always easy. Professionally, it was a milestone for me and India.