If you’re South Asian and live in New York, you’ve probably heard about Basement Bhangra, maybe stopped by a few (every month) times, and possibly brought all your friends to boot. It’s ridiculous to think that the monthly bhangra party at S.O.B’s has been going on for over ten years. Clubland years are like dog years – this thing should be arthritic and/or dead by now. But instead, DJ Rekha (disclaimer: I’m a friend) still brings live-wire energy and mad-scientist enthusiasm to the party as she continues to expand her empire (Basement, Bollywood Disco Mutiny, NYU Artist-in-Residency), relentless in her determination to bring joyous bhangra to the masses.
To that end, Rekha’s releasing a Basement Bhangra CD. According to the press release:
This 17 track album is a mix CD – with four exclusive tracks including two original productions… DJ Rekha has collaborated with an array of incredible artists including Wyclef Jean, Panjabi MC, and Bikram Singh – to name a few. The album skillfully weaves together Punjabi folk traditions and dancehall rhythms from Jamaica and DJ techniques that are 100% New York.
The album comes out on October 23rd. More info, track listing and ordering here.
Correct me if I am wrong, but are these not the same bhangra nights for the all sorts, where they had slow nights or slow periods, for folks that were just getting into it and then later on in the evening she would just slam it! If so they had a item on network east program on the bbc a few years back. (well one of the desi teen shows).
Anyway it looked really good, from what I saw, if it is the right one. 🙂
ooh, am excited for the cd. and i’ve never even been, just heard about it from friends.
also, i love the cover art.
The cover art was done by Chiraag Bhakta
http://lifehere.com/
Keep an eye out for the new *PMH tees yall. Comin soon!
So i gather she’s not going the radiohead way ? i’ll buy it when it comes, having seen her live and all..
thanks for the link, zazzy. i really like the work he’s featured on the site.
found this promo here. any others?
another remix here:
http://www.myspace.com/ddpesh
no offence, as a huge bhangra fan, I find the cover some sort of a rip off. And the tracks on this album seem played out and nothing new to offer. I understand Rekha has been a huge part of the bhangra movement in NYC but she could have done a better job with this compilation.
as for the cover i was talking about, it seems like a rip-off of one of my favorite producers right now “Specialist and Tru Skool”, and their most recent release “Raw as Folk” here is the cover… which i think is much better than this one mentioned in this blog. Sorry if i offended anyone but i take this bhangra ish too seriously!
http://media.chakdey.com/Images/RAF_cover.jpg
Actually that album is Tru Skool alone. I love the second song…”Sohne sajna da mukhda gulaab varga…”
Me too.
i am have to agree with down with brown… a) i don’t get what rekha did in the first place…its not mixed very well if its a mixtape. and her production credits are really only on like 2 songs. b)a couple of those songs are old…glassy has been played for like the past year and a half in the uk c)and if this is a representation of bhangra its a bad one.RDB has made better shit in less time it took for her to make this album
i’ve seen rehka spin twice and both times she didn’t even mix, her song selections were way off. and she was for the most part a horrible dj…i personally think she’s got this much attention solely on the fact that she’s a woman whose playing(not dj’ing) bhangra
4 · zazzy said
You’ll grow old waiting for those if you’re doing mailorder- he’s stalled sending an order i placed in spring ’07 for almost a year now. I’ve been rediculously patient, even willing to take a refund but he’s promised many times to ship something out (even offering to toss in extra goodies). Nothing by zero so far, and i can’t wear a promise! Unreliable is what he is, if well intentioned and a good designer. shrug Just my experience, hope you all had/have better luck.
I have to say in my honest opinion that DJ Rekha is not that great. She is okay but not as wonderful as people think she is. I feel that instead of pleasing her crowd, she is only in it for herself. I used to be a fan but quickly realized that her music doesnt deliver and at the end of the night i feel like i was cheated.
Not to mention- who doesnt have music that is extremely popular and is requested by several different people at several different times during the night? Especially when that song was requested 2 weeks prior to an event.
then there is her ridiculously annoying mic speeches that are intolerable as is her attitude. If you are going to spit and scream on a mic- then at least have something worthwhile to say.
heres an example of what i heard last night: “If you dont know, then you dont know. But if you do know than you know. And nobody knows what i know. Because what i know is what i know and if you know then you know. But if you dont know, then you dont. But i know what i know. ya know?”
She annoys me and she spits when she talks!