Ever since those floppy Beatles and hip-wiggling Stones stormed our Atlantic coast, American music mags lurve warbling on about the newest “Brit Invasion!” like retarded canaries in a perfectly oxygenated coal mine. Remember Blur? Pulp? The Verve? Ah, ’twas a Bittersweet Symphony indeed, Richard.
Coldplay is doing its best to launch a one-man (you know it’s true) full-frontal assault…but Mr. Martin sounds too intent on supporting Gwyneth and the Appletini to make anything really fresh these days.
So it’s with much interest that I’ve noticed that Brit-based Bhangra seems to be stealthily making unheralded inroads in the US. “Get ur Freak On” seemed to trigger something cuz soon after we had that Jay-Z rapping on Panjabi MC’s “Mundian to Bach Ke,” and no less than three (3) dancehall tracks with the Diwali Riddim. Sean Paul’s “Get Busy” being the best known.
Now, I’m pretty clueless about the Sardaar-scene, and know I’m a bit out of my depth here, so please refrain from tugging your beards and whipping your karas at me. please? I can’t do any worse than this Popmatters review that describes bhangra as:
dance music with the tabla beat at its base, sounding very much like drum’n’bass, sometimes with rapping but usually with Indian pop as its melodic focus.
Well, I hope.
At any rate, (and thanks Punjabi Boy) the previous post illustrates viral marketing at its finest:
The Xbox game, which is expected to hit the streets in November 2005, will feature two tracks by Achanak…taken from their forthcoming album, Bhangra-ology, which is due for release on 19th September 2005. Tigerstyle will have three tracks…lifted off their forthcoming, yet to be titled album, which is scheduled for a November 2005 release.[link]
May I draw your attention to the timing? Brilliant, I think. Besides, I hear there was a call for more turban-ed hotties…….Way to work it boys 😉
Everything this guy says is WRONG
He doesnt seem to know what he is talking about.
Besides, I hear there was a call for more turban-ed hottiesÂ…Â….Way to work it boys 😉
:)!!! Yay!!! whoot whoot!!! wahoooo!!! Though I don’t go for the rap bits, still gotta say we DO need more turban-ed delights, especially MORE sardars with guitars who can write and sing decently. And bhangra is boss…wish it would become more popular worldwide tho.
pattie
PB
Can anyone be more offbase?
Where do they find such critics? Ones who dont know the difference between tabla and other kinds of drums. And of course, it would be too much to ask for the knowledge of origins of bhangra, no?
Ouch!! How can one read this without wincing? I like bhangra on games though. Ill buy one for my son..should be fun.
Sumita
I watched an interview with Ravi Shankar on the BBC last month – he is a dude.
Anyway he told a funny story about how he was at a concert once and tuning his sitar just before going into the tune – and all the hippies in the audience started applauding thinking it was the real thing.
I think this guy is like those hippies – its also insulting to people like Susheela Rahman who makes offbeat Tamil-Jazz style music and comes from a totally different musical tradition.
Everything brown is the same! Everything brown is the same!
I watched an interview with Ravi Shankar on the BBC last month – he is a dude.
Ravi’s cool. PB, that’s funny about the tuning….the hippies were prolly stoned to oblivion to make it worse.
I like Surinder Shinda, what’s he up to these days?
Thank you CC — more music posts, please!
I don’t know what would annoy me more when I DJ’d here in DC and Baltimore — fellow desis requesting the cheesiest, most played out bhangra tracks, or the nondesis who thought anything remotely Indian sounding had to be a bhangra track.
Oh, and the other thing that always kills me is hearing nondesis mangle the word ‘bhangra’.. ‘bang-ra’, ‘ba-hang-ra’, ‘banger-a’.. the list goes on.
Other than Tigerstyle, RDB, PHS and others, who else is producing quality noncheesy bhangra based tracks? Mukhtar Sahota, Ravi Bal, Kam Dhillon, Swami and the like are top notch in my book.
Yay, sardars!
Now work your way up to some cute sardars =)
I’m not sure Pattie. They keep playing these videos he made in Yuba City California on the TV recently – and his tracks with Jazzy B.
Arghh.. this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Except I hate it when desis can’t get it right! The worst is when the MC’s of a bhangra competition can’t say the damn word. Hence the reason I will never go to Bhangra Blowout or UCLA’s Bruin Bhangra again (among other reasons).
timepass
Bhangra scene in the UK is brewing some good stuff again – there is a load of cheesy crap coming out but some great artists coming up – all those you mention, plus Zeus, Northern Lights, Notorious Jatt (laughably corny name but he has started making good music) Aman Hayer is BRILLIANT – Sanj from America is making great stuff at the moment – and this new collective from Derby called Specialist V Tru Skool – their last album was superb.
(NorthernLights are brilliant – check them out for definite)
There is a singer from New York called Bikram Singh who has an album coming out soon produced by Tigerstyle which is meant to be HEAVY
Now work your way up to some cute sardars =)
YEAHHH!!!! Those are CRUCIALLY NEEDED!!! THE MORE, THE MERRIER, AS THEY! – I’ll gather the welcoming comittee. 😉
“I’m not sure Pattie. They keep playing these videos he made in Yuba City California on the TV recently – and his tracks with Jazzy B.”
Thanks, PB. I’ve read a bit about him boucning around on the web, but was wondering. I have this great old LP from 1980 of his. How old is HE? He also doesn’t seem to really age. Also, if anyone could point me in the direction of more excellent talents, i’d be greatful. 😉
pattie
PB, thanks for that list, you should compile a Mutineer’s Rough Guide to UK Bhangra. That would be excellent. I’ve heard good things about Northern Lights too. Who would have thought that bhangra would be one of Scotland’s finest exports?
I’ve heard Bikram’s stuff and he is definitely someone to watch as well. Interestingly though, the US bhangra scene is quite stale — practically nonexistent if you ask me — and it hasn’t evolved much from the bollywood/rap/bhangra remix glory days of the early 90s. (Remember Chicago’s TS Soundz?) If anyone knows of any good US based bhangra producers, please correct me if I’m wrong.
Oh, and another UK guy who is absolutely brilliant — and comes from a bhangra background — TJ Rehmi.
my desi “friends” are always trying to correct my pronunciation of “Bhangra”. Apparently I also say “Sikh” incorrectly. As well as “Nirmala”. I’m also known to get tongue-tied when saying “Condescending Caste-obsessed C**ts”
Pattie
I thought you meant Sukhshinder Shinda – the guy from Birmingham – I dont really know what Surinder Shinda is doing these days I’m afraid.
burea-cat
You should have strangled those cats.
timepass
Yeah – the Scotland thing is definitely fresh.
If you listen to Bobby & Nihal and Panjabi Hit Squad every week – you can listen online – there are new artists and tunes every week – the scene is bubbling at the moment.
What?!! The one on the right is so dreamy I could cry!! Who are you thinking of? Hmmm…Have you been holding out on us Sonia?
Sanj was interviewed and he said he had to come to the UK because the scene is so strong here – you can kind of make a living from it even if you are just an average producer and DJ because of that and people are always coming up to make a name – its competitive.
“I thought you meant Sukhshinder Shinda – the guy from Birmingham – I dont really know what Surinder Shinda is doing these days I’m afraid.”
that’s ok. Is Sukhshinder good? I’ll have to give him a listen and see what i think.
Heck, because of Surinder’s album, I’ve taken to trying to learn to play a tumbi. I just love the sound of the tumbi.
pattie 😉
What?!! The one on the right is so dreamy I could cry!! Who are you thinking of? Hmmm…Have you been holding out on us Sonia?
Actually, they’re BOTH cute!
.
Damn P. Buoy, your obsession leads me to believe you’ve been “choking the chicken” one time too many. Keep it up, you might hurt yourself. Give new meaning to “cast obsessed”
It was just a joke dude, relax
On a totally different note, how dreamy are dudes who are really hairy? I only ask because some sardars don’t shave a single hair on their body, if I’m not mistaken. Does a really hairy body reduce a guy’s dreaminess quotient?
Another question: who is the hairiest guy (or girl) in bhangra today?
And if you have any doubts that hairy dudes can be delightfully dreamy, then you obviously haven’t seen this.
That is all.
Hmmm, why does it irritate some when non-desis can’t properly pronounce a word? Do you go into say, a Thai restaurant, or to a party with Chinese-Americans, or Bulgarian-Americans and pronounce all the words properly? I live in a traditionally Jewish neighborhood with a lot of Russians and I don’t know how to pronounce all the Russian words I read on signs around stores and such. Perhaps I should be more culturally sensitive and ask the nice Russian ladies in my building into teaching me the correct pronunciation of all these words……
Well, seeing as how I can’t speak Hindi or another language from India, I suppose I am a bit sensitive, but then, I am not a good desi. I suppose I would be shunned at bang-ah-rah parties and the like. Oh, woe is me.
PS: Aren’t these men more attractive than your typical gym-rat bollywood boy type?
Punjabi boy, sorry for the America-centric nature of my comment; although, come to think of it, I am America-centric, so at least it’s truth in advertising.
PS: Did you notice how I did not mention my age-demographic, for once? Or complain about a certain city? I am duly chastened as a SM commenter……
On a totally different note, how dreamy are dudes who are really hairy? I only ask because some sardars don’t shave a single hair on their body, if I’m not mistaken. Does a really hairy body reduce a guy’s dreaminess quotient?
depends on the hairyness. there’s just a certain charm to the Rabbi Shergills, and even though I personally don’t care for ‘rap’ act of the twinz, they are cute. Muzzies and beards..and urbans..oh my! However, hair does not, i repat does not reduce a guy’s dreamy quotient…just like other things like age – in some cases (see Amitabh, who’s gotta be the bollywood Sean Connery). And it’s not just the hair, but how it fits on their faces, esepcially when they’ve got to die for faces underneath. Course, a nice kurta doesn’t hurt. Gotta love a well dressed sardar.
And if you have any doubts that hairy dudes can be delightfully dreamy, then you obviously haven’t seen this.
Ok, now that is scary. That just cements the hairness placement quotient in place!
PS: Aren’t these men more attractive than your typical gym-rat bollywood boy type?
oh, screechingly! and FAR better than any n*sync or backstreet boy!
oh, screechingly! and FAR better than any n*sync or backstreet boy!
I forgot to add, most likely smarter too.
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Ok, will do. thanks.
MD:
Maybe I should clarify – while i don’t expect everyone to know how to pronounce ‘bhangra’ it does grate on my ears to hear it pronounced incorrectly, and it grates even more when I tell someone the correct way to say it and they either (1) don’t care to know how it’s pronounced or (2) keep pronouncing it the wrong way anyway. I’ve seen both.
Actually, I would generalize this to any word/phrase of south asian origin which has become part of the English lexicon. I don’t like to hear my name butchered so I always tell people how it should be pronounced. I’m still amused when someone asks for a ‘chai tea latte’. Part of being culturally aware, to me, is wanting to know the little things like correct pronunciation and proper usage of non-English words.
Sorry for the lecture.
No other thoughts on dreaminess vs. hairiness?
Tigerstyle makes some hot beats, but damn they are some hairy guys. Discuss. 🙂
*The Tigerstyle guys used to be cuter
*Cicatrix ~ this sardar is much cuter (yea, um, let’s not tell my husband i posted that)
*Pattie Kaur – you’re awesome – i love the different classifications of “hairiness” haha
No way, Sonia. Not me cuppa tea. Too big, too groomed. I bet his hands are softer than mine.
Hairy dudes can be quite dreamy, Timepass. But I strongly to object to your example. Dude..please! We don’t take all comers here at the Sepia Adonis Selection Committee (TM), you know.
you gotta be groomed on your wedding day! and you’re right .. soft hands run in the family.
Cica-
shorter, squattier and rougher looking than Mr. Sonia.
(with ALL due respect to Mr. Sonia)
Why is there a conflict between hairy and gorgeous? Aren’t the two issues orthogonal? Honestly, asking whether hairy guys can be handsome is like asking whether dark girls can be pretty. It’s caveboy/girl talk.
By all means, put up links to the hottest Sardars you know, but can we drop the whole “despite his being hairy” thing?
hey now! I never said I went for short and squat! (scruffy is rather nice, though..no?) Hairless is for pre-teens, Urban Turban. I quite agree.
erm, Sonia. If that’s you in pic, you should hide before Punjabi Boy and bongbreaker start stalking you 😉 I totally misread your comment btw!
but, er, back to the topic:
What about Asian Dhol Foundation? Opinions? Anyone?
Do you mean the Dhol Foundation? I saw Johnny Kalsi and his boys live at a wedding a couple months ago and I was in complete awe. Best live performance I’ve ever seen. A couple really good tracks on their new CD – especially the Sonia Panesar song (Dark Star). But I may be biased because I love every song she sings.
If you were talking about another group, well, then, ignore the above =)
Admin: When you leave a comment which has a quote from a comment that came before, please quote it by highlighting it and then clicking the grey ” button above the comment window.
Er, you guys DO know that there is no such button using Safari on a Mac? I was really surprised one day when I looked at SM on a PC and saw them thar buttons.
Timepass: Other than Tigerstyle, RDB, PHS and others, who else is producing quality noncheesy bhangra based tracks?
Having seen RDB and PHS live several times, how could you POSSIBLY define them as noncheesy? All those guys do is play some American hip-hop tracks and spit over them. Man, I hate PHS so much it makes my head explode. They REALLY drive me bonkers when they “perform.” It ain’t talent, it ain’t art, it’s just thugged-out CRAP. Even Raghav singing to the same damn 5 pre-recorded songs is a million times more tolerable than the likes of PHS. Hell, I’d even watch MIA with her boring, repetitive, childish 4-tracks rather than suffer ever seeing PHS again. (whoo, flame war! heehee) 😉
Plus, one of RDB’s former members sexually assaulted me in a club, so I despise them on principle outside of their crappy shows. 😉
That said, I’m not a fan of Tigerstyle’s music, but I could giggle at their Glaswegian accents all day long. ;p
I’m an idiot. Sonia I did mean the Dhol Foundation.
I also meant (in my head) to ask about the Asian Dub Foundation. In my work/sepia/email/phone addled state the names merged together.
OK, that ‘example’ was totally unnecessary, and I am sorry if anyone was grossed out. It was such a gloriously ‘let it all hang out’ kind of photo that I was compelled to share it.
So who are the nominees for the 2005 Sepia Adonis? Do tell…
Actually, the question I raised was whether male (or female, we are equal opportunity towards hair, aren’t we?) hairiness factors into the dreaminess of the said male. It’s all in jest folks, just for sh*ts and giggles.
Thanks for the perspective. My opinion of RDB, Panjabi Hit Squad and other UK acts is based purely on their music… I know what works (from a DJ’s perspective) on the dancefloor and these guys bring tons of heat with a lot of their tracks. That being said they do release tracks that are duds, but overall I’d have to rate the music as quite good.
Now, factoring in the live performance aspect, I have no idea what they are like. Also, it’s true that a lot of these guys started off with the typical sample stealing from Dre and Eminem and US hip hop artists… but PHS, RDB and others have also put out original tracks which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Matter of opinion I suppose.
Yikes, sorry to hear that. Come to think of it, some of these Birmingham based acts seem to caught up in a pseudo hip hop thug fantasy which they create in the studio and start to believe in the real world.
So, if PHS, RDB, Raghav, MIA, Tigerstyle and others aren’t doing it for you, then who is?
Sonia….Thank you! You are too! And hmm…of course the sardra you posted is cute. Ouch…my head’s begining to spin. So many sardars, so little time…and one must find ways to um, categroize them all….especially for certain things – like the cuteguys folder on my computer that certain someones hopefully ignore!
*DesiDancer – woooooooaaaahh…..ok, now my eyeballs are going to pop. I love Sunny, he IS adorable.
That sounds like a very fair compromise!
The whole point is this – basically, there’s just something about a sardar that’s not the same as your usual joe. At least to me, and it seems many of us! 😉
MOOORRE sardars, PPLLEEAAZZEEEEEEEEEE!!!
It’d be nice if we could have so many of them, they’d be almost everywhere. Or is there a place where this occurs, because if so, crikee…we’re moving there!
sorry, that posted twice. And in my excitement, I misspelled sardar. ;(
timepass fair enough (Oh, and the chaitealatte comment made me laugh. Uh, dear bloggers, when you name your blog and intend to keep it around for a while, please put more thought into it than, well, none 🙂 ).
I understand why it would grate to your ears, although I’m less particular. I like the way cultures mix and match, I’m not particularly interested in purity, so the whole chai tea latte thing seems fun and so very 21st century to me. I mean, do you like Hinglish, even though it’s not pure English? Why isn’t that subject to the same ridicule from the desis if correct pronunciation is the thing (I love Hinglish, to those who are not getting my point)? I think basically it comes down to respect: I’m not bothered if someone pronounces my name, Madhu, correctly or not, but I will try and respect you by pronouncing things correctly if you find it important.
Personally, I think it’s a bit provinicial to judge people so narrowly – not everyone has the same background or exposure to the world and it’s not always racism or cultural bigotry if they don’t get it right away. Teach, and teach gently.
Actually, no one has answered my question. Do you try and pronounce the names of other cultures as carefully as you expect non-desis to pronounce desi names? What about the local Chinese restaurant down the street? It’s certainly been Americanized, or Westernized for the non-American readers in the West. How many of you are careful to pronounce those names correctly? Once again, not being snarky. A general question – I wonder if attitudes toward this sort of thing are changing – in fact, when I was younger it was considered pretentious for non-desis to try and pronounce desi names perfectly correctly, like people who were trying to ape desis or ‘act’ brown.
Have attitudes changed for most of you?
Do you try and pronounce the names of other cultures as carefully as you expect non-desis to pronounce desi names?
I do. And I make sure to ask frinds and family from other cultures to help me with the pronounciation…usually after they’ve laughed till they peed when I screw it up. But then they’re proud of me for trying to learn.
Yeah, if it’s brought to my attention that I’m murdering the name.
Tonal language are hard, and any translation where the phonemes do not exist in your language is difficult, but you can usually get a long way closer to the right pronunciation even with the tools you have.
Hey Sonia – is that you, on your wedding day? If so, you look absolutely, positively gorgeous!
someone tell Deedar ADF needs its lead back, i dont really like the new guys
“Actually, no one has answered my question. Do you try and pronounce the names of other cultures as carefully as you expect non-desis to pronounce desi names?”
I do. Since in US of A, the desis are I know can be counted on the figures of my hand (including my brother and cousins). Therefore, I have to out of necessity…..otherwise, I will be lonely.
I can even pronounce long Botswana names.
Thanks! =)