South Asian hip-hop in New York By Gloria Suhasini, Indo-Asian News Service
New York, Apr 9 (IANS) South Asian hip-hop seems to have arrived with more and more of New York's urban youths wishing to get a taste of it in the shape of diaspora performers from across America and Canada. One such event where youth could get a flavour of South Asian hip-hop was at the Asia Society's theatre in the basement, where several music lovers gathered last weekend. Claimed to be first of its kind, the hip-hop showcased South Asian talent. "Livin' off the 7" (which stands for New York City's subway train number 7 or the immigrant train running between Time Square and Flushing) presented young South Asian artists from across North America and Canada, who amazed the audience with beat-boxing, rapping and simple words that convey strong messages. Gurpreet "The Tabla Guy" Chana and Jugular (Nikhil Tumne) took the stage first to perform a jugalbandi (duet) of sorts, where Chana played the tabla and dhol as Tumne reproduced the beat with his vocal chords, which could not be mistaken for anything but a set of percussion instruments. Jugular also accompanied other performers including R&B vocalist Sumeet Bharati, who sang her own number. Bharati, whose performance at Notorious B.I.G's album release party apparently surprised music professionals, sang "Sugarin" which is a coined word to mean sugary grin. She also sang familiar numbers such as "Killing me softly," a remix by the Fugees. Sheila of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) spoke on the aftermath of September 11 terror attacks. "...Why do you turn blue when its cold and red in the heat," she questioned those who wondered if her dark skin was because of "a mistake in the tanning factory." She said as long as her mother cannot wear salwar kameez and go out, she cannot believe life is back to normal (in America). Similar was the rage of two Karachi (Pakistan)-born cousins -- Abstract Vision (Fahad Rizvi) and Humanity (Asad Rizvi) -- who spat angry words challenging suburban conformity, exploring realities of being Muslim in America after September 11. The two, who started out as mainstream hip-hop fans, have turned to more underground, experimental and politically charged work. Performer Raeshem Nijhon interpreted Hindustani-Western fusion music through her modern dance, influenced by Bharathanatyam as well as Motown and hip-hop, creating a mix of classical style and contemporary attitude. Nijhon, a dancer from Detroit, Michigan, has assisted in choreography for Bollywood flicks like "1942: A Love Story" and is scheduled to be the first assistant to the choreographer of the upcoming Vidhu Vinod Chopra production, "Munnabhai MBBS," which stars Shah Rukh Khan. Ben Thomas, who has been a choir singer since childhood, performed at the feat. He has been a member of New York University's Gospel Choir for three years and performs with Karmacy, another performer of the evening, at Club NY. Karmacy, music group which combines culture, social awareness and eastern philosophy with hip-hop music, performed after Thomas. Its music has been featured in movies including "American Desi," "Leela" and "Four Letter Word." Its album is expected to release in fall 2002. Presented by Diasporadics, the event brought to the spotlight an emcee and a disc jockey (DJ), the hosts of the evening. Sri Lankan D'Lo, who moved to Brooklyn from Los Angeles, kept the audience entertained with her jigs and jolts and the generous use of "sh**man!" and "frickin ...'" -- which cannot be heard usually at the Asia Society events - were in tune with young crowd's cool attitude. DJ Disctraction (Nitin), in contrast to his vociferous co-host, went about his business without uttering a word. He displayed his skill in mixing and cutting using melodic Indian music with underground and break-beat hip-hop, funk grooves and drum-n-bass. When he is not spinning records, he's practicing drums, making visual art and design, working at the IndoCentre of Art and Culture. His artistic inclination was displayed in a collaborative work with Sidhhartha Joag, which served as the backdrop for the hip-hop evening. Joag's exhibition, "Please Do Not Throw Peanuts at My God," is going on at the Asian/Pacific/Arts Studies Gallery in New York University (one of the sponsors of the evening). --Indo-Asian News Service =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
