17th May - Staffordshire Uni Summer Ball. 20th May - Bombay Bronx 4th Birthday Party. 22nd May - Private Party London 24th May - Berne, Switzerland. 31st May - Nottingham Uni
Tues 15th April Bombay Bronx the live vibes with Mr Tor Nagini himself DES C playing with the Bombay Bronx Playaz with Mentor bk on the drum machine. Alongside Rishi Rich’s DJ Krash, Ameet Chana, K2 and myself Nihal. You down for some partying?
2007 has been a disaster for the Asian Music Industry and a revelation in terms of the depth and breadth of music and the realisation of album projects which contain more than one song. Rishi Rich's album had trks like Dholna, Push It Up and Stomp which I played to death. Swami's highly produced concieved and recieved album Equalize had tracks like Hey hey, Electro Jugni, and Intoxicated on it. Sona Family released the incredible Make Some Noise album with the heavyweight Kala Paisa, and funky Crazy For Ya on it. The Joi album was the old school reinventing itself inspiringly. Lady Ru, Hardkaur and of course M.I.A represented to the fullest, with Hardkaur finally breaking through in India in her own right. Blitzkrieg's album the Rhymebook was really strong and showcased his party and political vibve with some heavy heavy tracks like the Way I Shine and Time To Educate. Zeus long anticipated follow up to Unda da Influence was released called er...'Back Unda da Influence' and brought through some big uk Bhangra trks but with a big lean towards India. Jags Klimax smashed it with his self titled album and DJ Vix made a panjabi banger called Chit Karda
As far as the artists who came through on a trk by trk basis Sharmaji, D Code, DeFect, Badeshi, Superswamis, MDK Cartel and probably the most requested track of 2007 526 by RJ Productions!
New Bhangra star on the block H Dhami and R&Bengali singer Mumzy have been grafting over the summer doing Melas, touring the world, and having just completed the BBC Asian Network Student Tour, now you have the chance to see both of these amazing new artists up close and personal like never before live at BOMBAY BRONX. Be there on Tues 20th November. DJs on the night K2, DJ Jay P, JC (Sona Family) and myself Nihal (BBC Radio 1/BBC Asian network).
Chk out the video for H Dhami's 'Sadke Java' at www.hdhami.com
Now, I'm not sure if this is true or not as this is what I was told but it is illegal to have Oral Sex in Singapore ( that's a fact) but we were also told that a woman could be fined if she was the perpetrator of said act and then did not consent to full sex afterwards. Hence Bobby's comparison of having starters but no main course! I don't wish to be talking about such things but it did occur to me as quite a sexist law considering we were told it was the woman who got fined. We may be wrong but that is what we were told.
Oh, an WOMAD was amazing! Bobby an I tore it up spinning everything from Jay Dabhi mash ups to D Code D&B mayhem with w whole heap of bhangra thrown in. Singapore was so clean and beautiful and must have more shopping malls person than any other country on Earth. Go and shop there, it's incredible.
This was my fourth year of programming and hosting the London Flavas stage alongside Bobby with a lot fo help fom Radio 1 and this yr 1Extra, and it was a big day! With the Asian Network programming the mainstage and having their own DJ tent, it was even more important for the London Flavas stage to innovate, excite and inspire in the choice of artists, getting that blend of new artists and major league crowd pleasers. Yes it does have an urban music slant but this year we added D Code to do a special D&B set and when AC stepped on the stage and started letting his lyrics super scatter over the big beats and basslines the energy generated could have powered a small city!
Menis & Nazza T brought a lot of personality to the performance especially with the song which will become an immortal question at weddings to come with 'What's Underneath Your Sari'. The answer I'll leave to your imagination. With a rocked out version of Sshh they entertained everyone there to the max.
Our stage is always one for the music lovers, so it was great to see people who stayed at the front of the crowd from 2pm til Outlandish left the stage some 6 hours later. But more of Outlandish later.
We made sure that the females were well and truly represented onstage with Hardkaur performing before flying straight to India, and PHS presents Alyssia and Ms Scandalous. I don't want to sound weird but I never noticed how tall Ms Scandalous was, she looked amazing onstage (as did alyssia too). Talking of flying off, Swami Baracus who guested with Menis and performed as part of the One Blood UK trk had to leave the Mela and fly str8 to Dubai. Showbizniz!!
The One Blood UK trk was super hype. 10 Asian MCs (including me having to fill in for the last 8 bars) onstage spitting with a sick flow over a reworking of Dre's beat for the Game. It lasted about 6 minutes and was concentrated rap goodness - and possibly the last time it will be performed live ( you try getting a bunch of MCs together, it's hard work an big up to Kami K and Jeet for making it happen.)
Off Licence opened up the stage (soz 4 not doin this in order but I'm writing it down as it comes to me) and rocked it mixing panjabi singing, rapping and all the time having two very good dancers winding an...well ya know, moving around the stage.
One of the surprises of the day for me was 3Mix the (as Bobby mentioned) the first ever slim Asian boyband. They had their beats, singing and dance moves on point and all the girls watching were very pleased with what they were seeing. In fact they all stopped talking and just stared. I thought we'd have to get extra security to stop them jumping onstage.
It was important for me this year to really show the links between British black music and asian music. For the first time we booked a solo black British artist to come and perform infront of a largely asian audience. There was only ever going to be one man that I wanted to do this and that was Sway and he did not disappoint. The crowd loved him and I don't think they could quite believe that he was there. He loved the experience too.
The headline act was outlandish, who took it bk to their hip hop roots with a stripped down DJ based performance rather than a band. It was no less amazing for that. It never ceases to surprise me just how devoted Outlandish fans are. Women in hijabs, Pakistani rudeboys, scandanavian backpacker rap fans, and everyone inbetween all came to hear Aicha, Peelo, Guantanamo and a whole heap of big tunes that form the Outlandish musical lexicon.
Bobby an I have already got our thinking caps on for next year so if you can think fwd to Aug 2008 perhaps you can tell me who you'd like to see rock the BBC Radio 1 London Flavas Stage.
The amazing Outlandish to headline our stage at the London Mela! Mercury Music Prize nominated rapper Sway also confirmed as are Lady Ru, Ms Scandalous, Menis & Nazza T, One Blood UK feat. 11 Asian MCs. The Off Licence Crew from Coventry and much much much more...IT'S FREE!
12th August in Gunnersbury Pk west london from midday til 8pm an I'm going to give you some clues as to who Bobby an I will be having on our stage, we got the ladies representing, and also going global, and repping the biggest UK Rap act there is, an throwing into that mix some ish you never would've expected!
