Punjabi pop sensation Surjeet Ral of the RDB band was in the Capital recently to launch Aouraa, a celebrity management company. Earlier on, the Bhangra king performed to a full house at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. Sriya Reddy chatted him up
It was full on masti and lots of RDB (Rhythm, Dhol, Bass) at the Kingdom Of Dreams when pop sensation Surjeet Singh Ral aka Surj took the stage to perform his hit numbers. And it didn’t take him much to turn on the heat. Dilliwallahs were present in droves to welcome Surj’s first performance in KOD.
like his music, Surj is also full of life and breaks into PJs ever so often. But during his tour to the Capital, he could not help but get emotional about the band’s journey over the years. For him, the success of RDB is because of his elder brother Kuldeet Ral.
“Kulypaaji was the maker of RDB. His death was a huge personal loss. Something that I have been trying to come to terms with, but in vain. But, the show must go on. I am trying to continue his legacy through live concerts and connecting with the audience,” Surj tells you.
For Surjeet his brother was his guide and teacher in every way possible. “I have learnt a lot from my brother. He taught me the tricks of the trade — from composing music to singing and playing the guitar, I owe him my everything,” he says.
While the band makes Indians groove to their hit tracks like Tamnchay Pe Disco, Singh is King among others, Surj feels that RDB must collaborate with international artistes to create global music. “Music has no boundaries and we want to spread the legacy as far as we can reach. That was Kuly bhai’s dream,” he says, adding that there may be an audience for Bollywood but when it comes to Punjabi folk music, a lot still needs to be propagated.
His approach is through concerts and live performances. “Who wouldn’t like to be an all-round celebrityIJ I would love it if we could make Westerners groove to RDB. Our style of working may be different but the taste of music remains similar.
“Internationally things happen by the book, whereas in India it is like chalo kardo and done. We are hoping to cash in on their ‘love for folk and pop music’ culture,” Surj says about his agenda and the way he wants the band to position itself in the coming decade.
There is a lot of fun things associated with RDB too. For instance, the name is actually ‘stollen’ from a renowned pop band called R&B (Rhythm and Blues).
“Yes, the name was borrowed but we did give it a Punjabi twist by adding some desipan to the name. We made it Rhythm ‘Dhol’ Bass,” the singer tells you.
With four projects in the pipeline, RDB has also decided to give an opportunity to new singers and composers, moreso after the exit of Manjeet Ral, the singer-composer of the group.
