ABSTRACT
The expression popular artist in South Asia generally refers to a singer or musician who performs popular, mediated music. Popular artists in the twentieth century may be categorized according to their relationships with various entertainment-industry phenomena or in terms of the geographic location, social identity, and size of the audience that patronizes them and consumes their products. Before the advent of the mass media, some actor-singers in urban theatrical forms achieved exceptional popularity, but their numbers were few and their fame was relatively localized.
