A genre-defying American band and an Indian-origin American DJ tell Neeti Nigam why India is emerging as the destination for global artistes
We all know that Christopher Columbus discovered America on October 12, 1492. But did you know that he also explored the coasts of Central and South America but could not reach the North, which was inhabited by native AmericansIJ The Americans celebrate the day of the arrival of Columbus as Columbus Day or Discover America Day.
The celebrations were on full swing at the American Centre. Performances by the American artistes who are known to play world music with Indian influence were the major attraction of the event. “Through this event, we have received a chance to exhibit the American culture. Since music binds us all, we feel this is the best way to bring people close,” said Emily White, programme director.
Reality, a funk and soul band, played pop music. Jovol Bell (band leader and drummer) formed the band in 2007 with like-minded people who believe in honest music. It is based in America and focusses on eight individuals who have a unique sound of their own which are sonically set apart from each other when they create their cutting-edge music. The band covers a genre which is a mix of all forms — be it jazz, pop and so on. It has a huge fan following in North East America and as Bell described, “We sell like hot cakes as our music is true and real.”
While pop, hip hop and jazz continue to rule the American and world music culture, Gospel music (a genre in Christian music), too, is becoming a rage. In fact, when Bell came to India in 2010, he was surprised that music lovers were asking him about it. And how much has Indian music inspired himIJ “It is soulful and sweet, especially percussionists in South India like Gautam Karthik. I have been to the North Eastern states like Mizoram and Assam. I have played drums with their local bands and it was an awesome experience as I loved the melody of folk songs,” he said. The band’s most memorable performance was when they did a gig at Massachusetts. “We reached two hours before the schedule and the queue was six blocks long. We played jazz, hip hop and soul which had audience go crazy. We are not a fusion band but a band that fuses music from around the world in a popular sense,” he mentioned.
DJ WhatsHisName aka Bhavin Gopalji, who too, performed here, rated his Delhi performance as the most memorable one. An Indian origin Gujarati, who was born and brought up in America, Gopalji never had to struggle with identity crisis and alienation. “I was treated like any American boy. The reason why I decided to call myself WhatsHisName professionally was because it was difficult for people to pronounce my real name,” he said.
Gopalji grew up listening hip hop, jazz and his father’s classic American artistes’ collection. He has over 15 years of experience and has taken his DJ skills to Miami, New York, San Francisco, and london. Most recently he has held residency at two major clubs in New York City. He plays everything from jazz, funk and soul to R&B, rock and hip hop. “Trap music and hip hop is mostly demanded in America. Among Indians, Basement Bhangra at New York City is gaining prominence. This clubland institution was launched by DJ Rekha in 1997. The party mixes South Asian bhangra music with hip-hop, dancehall and electronic sounds,” he rounds off.
photos Pankaj Kumar