R&B Star Akon Breaks Into Huge South Asian Market

R&B Star Akon Breaks Into Huge South Asian Market

Sings in Punjabi with Desi Artist Kidd Skilly - Only on DesiHits!

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month it was rap sensation 50 Cent using www.desihits.com to break into the emerging and lucrative worldwide South Asian market-this month it's R&B megastar Akon. Once again, the world's leading fusion music hub Desi Hits! is the first to break exclusive collaborations between America's leading music acts and "Desi" (South Asian) talent, defining a new genre of music known as "Urban Desi."

For one week starting December 18, www.desihits.com will be the only place to hear the genre-bending sounds of Indian-Mexican rapper Kidd Skilly's new track "Ni Sohniye" (Hey Pretty Girl), which features Akon singing in English and Punjabi.

The artists came together through a mutual friend who thought Kidd Skilly's rap vocals would mesh well with Akon's melodic hooks. "I love collaborating with other artists," says Akon. "There are times when I'm in the studio with someone and the chemistry just clicks." Fusing hip-hop, R&B and Bhangra grooves in English and Punjabi was a natural for the Senegalese-born singer, who was raised on fusion sounds. "It was a great experience working with Akon," agrees Kidd Skilly, "as he also comes from a deeply rooted cultural background. Once we connected on the direction of the track the rest was magic. I hope this collaboration helps pave the way for all South Asian artists to be heard by mainstream markets."

With 50 Cent and Akon exclusives under its belt and more under way, www.desihits.com is the ultimate destination for East/West collaborations. "The South Asian market is huge all over the world," says Desi Hits! CEO Anjula Acharia-Bath. "In the last few months we have seen stars like Beyonce, 50 Cent and the Black Eyed Peas take advantage of this to grow their fan bases; www.desihits.com is the only fusion website that blurs the boundaries between East and West in a cool, funky way."

   FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:    Andrea Codrington, acodrington@brandbuildingpr.com   Stacy Gillian, sgillian@brandbuildingpr.com   Brand Building Communications, (212) 343-8917  

Source: Desi Hits!

CONTACT: Andrea Codrington, acodrington@brandbuildingpr.com, or Stacy
Gillian, sgillian@brandbuildingpr.com, both of Brand Building Communications,
+1-212-343-8917

Web site: http://www.desihits.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment