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Together we ROCK!

In New Delhi to take part in the European Union Cultural Weeks, London-based deejays Winston Hazel and Pete Simpson take time off for a chat with SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY

This is both Londoner Winston and Pete's debut trip to India but surely not the first international one done for a performance. In fact, deejay Winston Hazel's leap to limelight happened in the year 2000 through quite a few performance tours, of Europe, the UK and even the US.

In tow with vocalist Pete Simpson in New Delhi this past week to take part in the European Union Cultural Weeks, Winston, as anticipated, is not found short of saying, "I quite enjoy these tours. They bring us closer to people." Treading a step more, this Sheffield-born even tries to broadly dissect the concert tours region wise vis-à-vis people's taste for music.

"The London deejay scene is more drug-driven but often elsewhere we have realised that people throng at the clubs to listen to good music. We loved playing in Eastern Europe particularly," he says. In countries like Russia, he continues, "Deejaying is very new. It is still a blank canvas." Sitting next to him, Pete, armed with a shy smile, concurs with a nod.

Not cheesy otherwise

Being known to only Bhangra beats, which seem to be quite popular in London clubs nowadays, (thanks to the NRI Punjabis taking to the mike) both Pete and Winston often in the course of the conversation commit the mistake of taking just that as popular Indian music. "Outsiders might find the Bhangra beats quite cheesy but in a colourful Indian milieu, they piece together so well. It is like reggae best heard and felt only in Jamaica," the milieu is so important for the wholesome feel, is what he means here.

Arriving just a night before their performance at The Ashoka's Orange Room this past week, their first brush with music in India is the channel MTV in their hotel room and they seem to be quite impressed by the dish-outs. "It is quite different from MTV shows elsewhere. It has a lot of Indian touch and whatever we saw was quite impressive. The base seems to be very Western but are infused with interesting Indian sounds," explains Winston, known in the circuit as DJ FMG( Funk Master General). Having taken up Deejaying at his school youth club way back in the 1970s and experimenting with all kinds of music since, Winston (Pete nods yet again in agreement) wants to check out more of the pub scene in Delhi. But time, they sadly admit, is ticking away fast. Soon after this performance, they hop off to Mumbai for yet another concert.

"But I shall love to come back," he says. And Pete? What else, nodding in agreement once again.

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