Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Set to swing
|
Black Eyed Peas on its India show this Tuesday
|
SOUL FOOD The Black Eyed Peas
Tomorrow is a day of reckoning in Bangalore. The three-time Grammy Award winning group Black Eyed Peas will be performing in the city, as part of their international whirlwind tour, “Black, Blue and You”. Since September, this four-member group has travelled through South America and will arrive at Bangalore, via Africa. “Silicon City” is how they describe Bangalore. They hope to get their hands dirty with chicken curry. And are looking for saris to take back home for friends.
The tour will take them through 13 countries. “We get a chance to meet different people from different backgrounds. It’s exciting and intriguing to meet them, chat up with them and learn about their culture,” they say of their global travel. Hailing from California, the group is amazed at their own popularity, across continents.
Their 2003 release, “Elephunk” earned them four Grammy nominations and one Grammy Award. “Where is the Love?”, which featured Justin Timberlake, was an overnight sensation. “Let’s get it Started”, was used as the theme song for the NBA Finals. But that was only a first taste of success.
The song “Don’t Phunk With my Heart” from “Monkey Business”, their fourth album, flirted with the peaks of all the international charts. It established them as the leading Hip Hop, Rap group of the world.
Consisting of will.i.am (William Jones), apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, Black Eyed Peas is one of the few groups where band members balance individual careers too. Fergie, the vocalist of this Hip Hop/Pop group, released her solo album, “The Duchess” in 2006. Last month, the founder of the group, will.i.am released his third solo album, “Song About Girls”. Besides being the creative force of the group, will.i.am also produces for Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson and designs his own clothes line.
Balancing act
Is there a conflict of interest between individual careers and the group’s interest, they quickly reply, “No, not at all… in fact we all help each other in our individual projects. We respect each other’s musical ambitions and individuality.”
Hip Hop loyalists had accused Black Eyed Peas of betraying their origins. The incorporation of Fergie in 2003 was seen as an attempt to mainstream their popularity. Their old fans felt betrayed. And a section of the media was quick to accuse them of being a sell-out. But the band posters equanimity when asked if the media has been unfair to them. “No, we don’t think so. The media have the right to speak, it’s a democratic world.”
For now, let’s just get the music started.
NANDINI NAIR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
