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Bollywood calling

With ‘Don’t stop Dreaming’, Stereo Nation enters Hindi films with a bang

Photo: AFP

On film Stereo Nation frontman, Taz, makes his acting debut

A mixture of just about everything from bhangra to classic pop to dance music and more hip-hop, often described as a pioneering effort in pop fusion and the embodiment of cross-cultural music, the music of Stereo Nation falls in that familiar territory of art that constantly tries to escape definition.

And, with a fresh and evolving sound despite years in the business, its frontman and primary creative force, Taz has certainly managed to do just that rather successfully. As Taz himself explains, “Stereo Nation has always been a hybrid sound that is distinctly its own. I wouldn’t like to put myself within labels of pop, hip hop, bhangra and so on because over the years, the entity Stereo Nation has also become the best description of its own sound.” Back on the scene with the release of the movie soundtrack of “Don’t Stop Dreaming”, a film about the trials of a multi-cultural group of young musicians trying to put together a band in the UK, Taz was recently in the country promoting the album.

“What attracted me to the project,” he adds, “was this feeling of déjÀ vu, of revisiting some of my experiences on the road to success that the film promised.” And that feeling has dictated the kind of music Taz has created, resulting in a “very natural” process of songwriting. The film feels something like coming a full circle for Taz, who points out that he was one of the first acts to break the Brit Asian pop-Bollywood barrier. And certainly, the experience with Bollywood has been rather fruitful, he says, “Because the stature and respect you get from being known in Bollywood is far superior to simply being a pop or rock star.”

Being at the top of his tree, Taz is also mostly appreciative of other Brit Asian acts that have come along over the years. “It’s nice to see Brit acts doing well. And it feels great to see newer acts emulating, following the fashion of what I started.”

However, he says, as much new ground as these acts have broken and taken the music forward, there is a new tendency that makes much of the music “throwaway”. “I wish there were more evergreen music coming out. Some of my favourites are still R.D. Burman, Rafi, Nusrat ji, Bob Marley… I would like to see more evergreen music with a lot more melody coming out.”

“Don’t Stop Dreaming” also marks a new beginning for Taz in that it will be his acting debut. Although Taz was to first appear in a movie titled “Arranged Marriage” some years ago, that fell through because the producer-director suffered an accident, says Taz. “It’s not a massive acting debut,” he says of his role in “Don’t Stop Dreaming”. “It’s more in a way of ‘let’s see where it goes and what people think’ kind of role. Acting has always been in me, and I am at a stage where I wanted to explore something new.”

RAKESH MEHAR

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