Alok had been ready for this second for years. For the Brazilian DJ and producer, India wasn’t simply one other cease on his tour—it was a homecoming of kinds. His title, his household’s story, and a connection he had at all times felt however by no means totally explored had all led him right here. And this time, he wasn’t alone.
As we sat down for our interview at Lollapalooza India 2025, Alok had his mom and spouse by his aspect. His pleasure was apparent. “This journey is so particular to me,” he advised Rolling Stone India, his eyes lighting up. “My mother’s title is Ekanta, my brother is Bhaskar, my sister is Jaya, and my father is Swarup. Our names are deeply related to India.”
That connection goes manner again. Earlier than he was born, Alok’s mother and father—each legendary psytrance DJs who based Brazil’s Universo Paralello competition—traveled by means of India. It was throughout that journey that non secular guru Osho gave him the title Alok, which implies mild in Sanskrit.
Music was at all times in his blood, however as his profession took off, one thing felt lacking. India had been calling him again, and this time, he lastly answered.
The world is aware of Alok for his competition anthems and chart-topping hits. However for him, it’s about one thing larger. “I’m about influence,” he stated. That realization got here when he turned a personality within the recreation Free Hearth. “They requested me what superpower I wished, and I stated, ‘Can I heal folks?’ I wished to heal inside and outdoors the sport.”
And he wasn’t simply speaking. Alok donates all his Free Hearth earnings to social tasks—bringing clear ingesting water to twenty,000 children and supporting communities in Brazil, India, and Africa. In India, he’s working with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi to guard kids’s rights. When he pledged 1,000,000 {dollars} to causes right here, folks requested him, “Why India?”
His reply was easy: “I really feel emotionally related to this place. I need to give again the place it’s wanted.”
A decade in the past, he admits, he wouldn’t have understood philanthropy the best way he does now. “In the event you had requested me then, I might’ve thought, ‘Why not simply purchase a pleasant automotive?’ However then I felt this enormous vacancy. Giving again stuffed that void. It gave me objective. Truthfully, that’s how I discovered God.”
Alok has spent years on the high of world DJ charts, enjoying large festivals, dropping hits like Hear Me Now. However now, he’s shifting focus. He lately launched One thing Else, a brand new monicker that lets him create music with out stress. “The whole lot turned about large productions, large hits, and enjoying the business recreation. I wanted one thing to convey me again to the place it began—simply making music for the love of it. I don’t care if this subsequent venture doesn’t high the charts. I simply need to create freely.”
The love he’s receiving in India has been overwhelming. “At this time, they wished to take me to a temple, however we couldn’t even get out of the automotive due to the gang. That type of love means a lot to me.”
And he’s not leaving with out making one thing particular.
“I’m releasing a tune with Kr$na,” he revealed. “I’m an enormous fan, and it’s loopy that he’s right here at Lollapalooza too. It simply feels meant to be.”
Alok’s journey to India wouldn’t have been full with out doing what he does greatest—bringing folks collectively by means of music. And his set at Lollapalooza India was fairly actually a celebration. From the second he hit the stage, the vitality was unreal. He took the gang on a experience, mixing his signature digital sound with all the pieces from Bollywood beats to American and Spanish hits. The second he dropped an Indian observe, the place exploded—followers leaping, singing on the high of their lungs, utterly misplaced within the second.
“India, this one’s for you!” he shouted, grinning as hundreds screamed again. It was pure chaos, the most effective form—the type the place music connects everybody, irrespective of the place they’re from.
Alok carried out at Lollapalooza India, produced and promoted by BookMyShow Stay.
