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The hallmark of “Great Artists” often lies in their ability to hone to perfection a strong and easily assimilated iconic, but singular, image. It may evolve slowly and surely over the years but will always be presumed to be a natural maturing.

Daler Mehndi, as a performer and songwriter, fits this definition completely. Born into a family of temple singers, Daler began performing on stage with his father at the age of 4. Endowed with a distinctive, perfect pitched voice and a pugnacious spirit, he ran away from home in his mid-teens to seek training in the classical North Indian vocal tradition. To earn his keep, he would perform at mariage parties, which usually meant singing non-stop for 5 to 6 hours.

In a country hooked onto film music, his 1995 breakthrough album Bolo Ta Ra Ra went double-platinum and created a new genre that came to be labelled Indipop. His third album Tunak Tunak Tun is probably the greatest grosser in non-film music in India to this day. The wacky video has become an Internet phenomenon and the song has been adopted by the World of Warcraft community.

Non-drinker, non-smoker, deeply spiritual, always dressed in signature self-designed Maharaja robes, bejewelled turban and jewellery, his snappy fashion and eye-catching oufits have earned him Elle magazine’s “Most Stylish Person in Music” award. With multi-platinum album sales and a string of music awards to his name, imagine an Elvis Presley/Michael Jackson hybrid given a Bollywood a go-go make over and you’re close to the towering scale of his stature and following. With a voice that scales the Himalayas and a band that can make the dead dance, his high-voltage performances make him India’s most sought-after pop performer.

Falsely implicated in a human trafficking case in 2003, his career went into a spin for several years, which he spend by lending his voice for film soundtracks or delving into the Sufi repertoire. Now, a resurgent Daler is breaking new ground as a composer: his forthcoming bhangra-rock crossover Thieves And Liars promises to be Daler’s most important album till date.