BB 10 Almost here
Current mood: nostalgic

So I cant sleep. Nor should I be. I have to do a mix for BBC. Which isnt such a big deal. Its only 30 minutes. But doing this for the UK there is always the added make it really sound like New York pressure. I got some tricks up my sleeve.

The reason for them asking. Its 10 years of Basement fucking Bhangra. Who would have thunk. Not me for sure. One party- and a life changing/defining experience. Last thursday was just bananas. Its just gets crazier. It is a DJs dream. What an amazing crowd. Well a couple of annoying fools as always.

But I just want the show to go off well. The energy is out there. The line up is a dream for me. And what is awesome is that both TDF and PMC are long time friends of the party. It doesnt feel like business. We are doing all we can to promote it. Tickets are selling nicely(hint get urs if you dont have em already).

I thought I would have more profound reflections, but I guess I am only procrastinating on doing the mix. But a lot has changed for me in 10 years. The friends and lovers. They places I have lived. The size clothes I wear. The day jobs I dont have. I wish I could post my mixes up on myspace, but they are too long. I know I should put them up somewhere else. But I can barely get the hang of this.

So i better go dig for songs that big up new york and can mix in with some bhangra. Load them up in the computer so I can beat juggling them in Serato. Contrary to what many people may think I am still old school when it comes to do a dj mix. I actually just do it from scratch and record it on to a CD-R. If i fuck up. I just start right from the top. No doing it the computer and editing it. One bring it in to fix the audio a bit. Make it more even sometime, but no edits.

So I just realized I have no recordable Music CDRs. Is it time to go drive the apple store. I knew I would have a reason for doing so. Nah, just work it out now and lay in down in the morning after going to Staples for some blank discs.

OK better get to it. Will try to write after the big show. Have to admit it feels good.

11:33 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Montreal

So i am not much of a blogger but i am going to try to write some sort of gig journal. I am bad with leaving out words so bear with me.

Montreal- What a trip.

The gig was at the W hotel Montreal. Nice and swank, but a little dissapointing on the bathroom products. I was so tight for space i didnt take my toiletry bag thinking they would have nice products. They did i guess but I have better stuff in less fabulous business hotels.

Anyway i get to the airport having had very little sleep and realized I left my Bollywood CD wallet at home. Shit shit shit. Thankfully, Noah one of my friend, Senain's, husband was there. (Check out his book The Cell Phone Reader: Essays in Social Transformation Digital Formations)
I asked him to cab it and bring me CD wallet. it was a smooth transaction. He didnt even get out of the car.
The reason I left the wallet behind was because at the last minute I decide to talk my laptop and give Serato a live test. That meant taking the Serato box, the hard drive, all the cables. In the shuffle i left out the wallet.

But moving on to the trip- I get off the plane and a hip Asian guy says, are you Rekha? It was Raf the reason for my booking. He went to a Bollywood Disco night in new york and recommended the W where he spins bring me in. He smartly prepped me for immigration. It was a little suspiciouis because i was on there for a day. We came up with suprising my friend for a birthday.

Raf and I shared a cab into town. It was nice to not have to deal and have someone tell the driver where to go.

I go to the hotel and passed out.

I went to a mixer connected to Asian Festival tied into my gig. I met Raf's roommate. The sweetest French man ever. Olivier aka Ensemble. He took me to the old port showed me some great views. We had Italian Pizza and talked about Bollywood. He is a big fan of Bappi Lahiri and was going to DJ after me.

We walked back to the hotel I took another disco nap and got ready for the gig.

Since it was just downstairs it was so low stress. As I got down there a hostess from the bar said, your cousin Tosh from England nephew is staying at the hotel. What the fuck?? I didnt even know who that was.

So I walked in and it was a nice vibe. A little on the cocktail drinking side of things. The booth was crazy small. I didnt know where i was going to set up the laptop. We figured out a position, but there was no way to get the turntable cables connected to the Serato box so I just said forget it.

As soon as i got to the booth this guy name Mike came up to me. He was a rapper and was showing me a lot of love and respect. I gave him my card. Mike, I am waiting to hear your stuff.

Anyway the opening dj was playing a lot of cool stuff. Very groovey and loungey. I got my drink on. He starting playing Welcome To Jam Rock and then was slowly drifting into a hip hop set. I got on before he go into it to much- I wanted to maybe do that.

I started out groovy and slow- some of my favorites- dZahin and Kamien and the like and then go into the bhangra. They were loving in and the dance head came closer. It was a small place and the party was free.

An hour and half later I see Rup of Josh. I meant to call him all week knowing i would be in Montreal but i just didnt get to it. He told me off as he had every right to. And it was his birthday. I did the requsite 50 cent birthday song.

Oh the nephew of the cousin. Well i didnt rememeber meeting him, but Sunny was really nice and kept plying me with Blue Label. Oh well its good to be the DJ.

the next day was painful. I was supposed to meet Rup for breakfast but we both new it wasnt going to happen.

My flight to NY was cancelled and I was so worried i would miss the Roots show at Radio City but i got on standby on the next flight.

All and all i have to say Montreal was of the best gigs in recent memory.

This is my first blog entry so i might be blabbing a bit too much.

4:27 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

BALTIC ROOM SEATTLE WA

To my Seattle people come check out the Baltic Room Saturday May 27th. The Baltic Room is located 1207 Pine Street. DJ Manpreet will be getting the night started!!!
Baltic Room Featruing DJ Rekha of New Yorks Basement Bhangra and Bollywood Disco. Cant get better then this Seattle!!!

9:52 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment