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Balle balle!
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At a time when Bhangra is going global, a band attempts to maintain its raw form.
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THE TRADITIONAL Bhangra music has graduated to the international scene. This transition was very evident at the recent MTV Immies award function, which is currently being aired on MTV.
Three top class bands that performed at the show showed how Bhangra could be fused with various genres of international music.
Firstly, the U.K.-based Rishie Rich Project, with their chartbuster song Tere naal nachna from the soundtrack of Boom, combined earthy Bhangra beats with a hip-hop groove. The popular Panjabi MC, who produced the biggest song of 2003, Mundiyan tho bachke, skilfully fused Bhangra with the popular Night rider theme. Finally, the show featured the international band, Outlandish (of `Aicha' fame), with a Bhangra remix of their popular song, Guantnamo. The message is loud and clear: Bhangra has come-of-age and the world is listening!
Stereo Nation is a band that shot to fame with its very first song, Oh! baby, don't break my heart. In fact, a straight rip-off of this song was featured in the Hindi film Mohabbat that became equally popular. It was one of those rare cases where the rip-off was released before the original song. The band comprising the Punjabi munda Taz and the Caribbean-born Kendell Smith, presented a unique fusion of Punjabi music and Caribbean rhythms. The duo gained huge popularity in the U.K. club scene as Taz started his career in music as a DJ in popular clubs in Birmingham. When his manager Kendell Smith joined in and sprinkled some Caribbean flavour to his music, the duo christened themselves as Stereo Nation.
Stereo Nation's second album featured another hit song, Oh! Carol, the band's own rendering of an evergreen classic of the same name. Jambo was their third major hit and by now, a new genre called Punjabi-reggae was accredited to be the band's creation. After this, things just did not go right for the band as the next album, `Tazmania', did not feature Kendell. The music too was purely Bhangra. Besides disappointing fans, the trademark sound of Stereo Nation just seemed to disappear. Among the unending stream of Bhangra acts, Stereo Nation became just another name.
Today, Taz under the name of Stereo Nation, has released `Apna Sangeet' (T-Series; CD: Rs. 125) and, unfortunately, carries the Tazmania trend forward. Except for the catchy title track and Baby don't go none of the other tracks are notable. Once you listen to the album you can't help recollecting the good old times of Stereo Nation, which produced chartbuster tunes that made you shake a leg or two and hum the tune all day long.
The album offers nothing new, and at a time when Panjabi MC and Rishie Rich Project are dominating the charts, the music from the band is a huge let down. Taz, listeners have graduated from this form of Bhangra. Next time around, please give them something new.
A. VISHNU
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Metro Plus
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