Happy Humpday, SM readers! Hope you’re having a great week. Whilst stalking my friends’ Facebook pages, I came across the best music video EVER via Sugi. Behold: the Interwebz phenomenon that is Wilbur Sargunaraj, who apparently first came to attention through ‘Blog Song’ back in 2007. Since then he’s done many, many videos. But man, am I loving this beat right here. It doesn’t hurt that he has those adorable aunties self-consciously throwing it up in the back. Seriously, this song needed to be my ringtone yesterday. Enjoy!
You can find more of Wilbur on Facebook or Twitter. But the real question seems to be – is he real or is he fake? Whaddya folks think? Too good to be true?
I’m totally downloading this song and taking it on my epic South Asia journey next week.
He’s a Borat type character played by a genuinely talented musician. He’s been a rage for a while now.
Check out his website – http://www.wilbur.asia – and his Youtube channel – youtube.com/wilbursargunaraj. If you’re good enough, you can poke around for clues on his site and find the man behind Sargunaraj. Self and some friends did, and we’ve emailed him 🙂 Not sure if he wants the identity out in public though, so I’ll leave the poking around to you.
Oh wait, I’ve only just noticed that you have his website there already. And the real/fake discussion you’ve linked pretty much gives it all away. Nvm 🙂
I’m sorry, Love Marriage might be allright – but Chicken 65 has GOT to be the best song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ni57H6KbE
Wilbur Sargunaraj is Paul Benjamin. He’s done a good job of trying to hide it, but it’s definitely the same person.
They have the same face (WS has a fake mustache and sunglasses, but the forehead, shape of the face, etc. is the same) All of WS’s videos are made in places where PB is living, performing or traveling They have the same dance moves and often the same dance partner (this can be see in various videos of live performances) They play the same instruments Their hair length mysteriously matches up over time (when it’s long, WS has it combed to the side as opposed to PB’s more stylish ‘do)
I don’t care if WS is a fake. He’s a great character and super entertaining. I find PB’s “regular” music to be kind of… eh. But as WS he’s super fantastic. Though I’m not sure whether he’s capitalizing on or lampooning stereotypes. Maybe a little of both.
Amen. That’s the second time I’ve missed Madurai since leaving in 2007.
Philly Girl,
Sorry. The song is annoying.
Did I miss something in your blog? Did you mean to be sarcastic?
Wilbur/Paul was interviewed on CBC Radio (Canada’s NPR). You can listen here.
He’s our Weird Al.
Another ABCD runs out of material.
I’m kinda torn. He IS funny, and I like that a Tamil dude is hamming it up on the Tamil tip (rather than the usual Northern fare). But is this desi “coonin” or not?
Nope, I really do like this song. To each his/her own.
oh, cmon… how is this “running out of material”, and why u beat up on author…. i thought the song was pretty funny.
I was talking about Paul Benjamin. If he had enough material, he wouldn’t have to go do a Borat act in Tamil Nadu to try to become famous.
When ABCDs run out of material, they start capitalising on India, usually in some weird kind of way, using stereotypes, like in that video. I didn’t find it funny, it gave me a headache. It is like those desi comedians whose jokes always make use of their desi background. If they are so funny, why can’t they make jokes about life in general? Like good comedians do?
Is the assumption being made that good comedy cannot and should not include any references to one’s own background? White-washing all humor, are we? How totally bland and insipid! Where would Yakov Smirnoff be without his give-away Russian accent? Where would Jackie Mason be without his Jewish jokes or Chris Rock without his black comedy? Don’t tell me Joe Wong doesn’t make you laugh.
So why can’t desis capitalize on their background? When there are enough of us around to support such comedy, it would be a pity not to do so.
I love every bit of Wilbur’s ‘love marriage’–especially his choice of background dancers. So authentic and so refreshing. I am rooting for his success.
No.
But if your background is the only thing thing you can capitalize on, and if this realization dawns after trying to capitalize on non-background things, then you are a loser.
The emphasis should be on good comedy, not the background. This is yet another unfunny unoriginal take on a desi situation.
But if your background is the only thing thing you can capitalize on, and if this realization dawns after trying to capitalize on non-background things AND yet, you do a poor job at capitalizing on your background, then you need a new career. (In my books, you will never be a loser for having the guts to try something different.)
But if your background is the only thing thing you can capitalize on, and if this realization dawns after trying to capitalize on non-background things, AND you do it well, then hats off to you that you have figured out your niche in life. You’ve understood my old teacher’s advice, ‘Even if you become a barber, be the best barber in town.’ May you have all the time and opportunity in this world to perfect your art. Don’t pay attention to your detractors and especially don’t pay attention to those detractors who resent that you have found your niche.
And I stay away from arguements over ‘good, art; bad art’ dichotomy. That arguement is as old as the class/caste system and only becomes more subjective with each additional social classification. Live and let live.
Agree, so I will retract my “loser” comment, that was a bit too strong.
However, I will qualify that: just trying something different, and then putting it out there without credits to see if it flies, and (potentially) taking credit if it does, doesn’t show a lot of guts. So in my book, not only does he need a new career, he needs a lot more lower-body fortitude.
As for the niche, it depends on whether what he has found is a barber-like niche. Maybe what he has found is a bum-like niche, in which case, your teacher’s exhortation would map as: ‘Even if you become a bum, be the best bum in town.’ Not sure what that would mean, maybe making observations that get you into overheardinnewyork.com? Or SM, in this case.
Sure, live and let live. As long as the niche-builder stays in his space and I stay in mine, and there are no overlaps. Unfortunately public spaces overlap, and if you are building your niche in the public space, you should be ready to get bounced around a little. (Being sly about it doesn’t help much, as you can see. Nor does it get respect.) Whatever he is getting comes with his public niche — “let live” is not the same as “let go”. If he is not ready to face people’s views, he should have kept his singing to the bathroom.
Sly? Where did that come from? The guy gives live performances and, from what I gather, he has been doing this for a few years now. His style of entertainment includes not just music but a musical-comedy act –that’s his shtick. (The CBC loved that they could only get tantalizing hints to the identity of Wilbur Sargunaraj). You may not like his act and the hoopla surrounding this act but here is how you can save yourself from collecting some plaque in your arteries: don’t let the fact that he is enjoying his gig (that has lasted more than 15 mins, I must note) stress you out.
It must be hard to see someone take a subculture (language, accent) that has been looked down upon for a long while, embrace it, play with it, present it in a loveable way and make a name for himself, all while seemingly having some fun himself.
Not sure what that means. He is having fun, so I should love him? Or tolerate him?
Sly as in, not owning up to the fact that he is Wilbur, and creating a whole fake persona. I know Borat did it, but he doesn’t (try to) sing on the side.
Right. And how dare he, a mere brown person, think and step outside the Borat barrel, er, box! Doesn’t he know he shouldn’t combine wit and music precisely because it is a commonly employed entertainment style in his native Tamil Nadu and it is best kept hidden there? Has he not read the desi manual rule # 4 ‘Thou shall not subvert the world order’? Ay-yai-yo! What is to become of us?
Sorry, you don’t make much sense.
lol funny song! I definitely want to download this! Reminded me a funny article I read the other day about Indian marriages (http://nazaronline.net/arts/2010/03/alliance/)
Haters gonna hate! Wilbur rocks. His videos are funny, informative, refreshing and sweet. I always found ‘Borat’ obnoxious and a bit of a bully, and what I love about Wilbur is he’s polite, inoffensive and doesn’t rely on antagonizing or insulting others for a laugh. All the best to Wilbur, he’s a rising Simple Superstar. Oh and do check out his First Class Bhangra! Can’t get enough of it!
ps. I found this page while searching for the lyrics to this song. I wish someone would put them up, including some of the Tamil words that not everyone can understand! Thanks!