Tag Archive for 'Indian'

Remix Delhi 2 Dublin

Back in September we stumbled upon a stellar group called Delhi 2 Dublin, which pummels its fans with a deluge of dub-heavy Indian and Irish fusion. Since we are delving further and further into remix culture, we were pleased to find out that not only is D2D all about it, but they’ve actually just released their own remix CD! Check out a recent review of the album here. If you want to keep up with D2D, become a fan on their Facebook page.

d2dremixedcd

If you missed the boat and were not one of the lucky collaborators on the remix CD, you have another chance to play with D2D’s music. Check out the Remix Wizard on their myspace page to create your own remix of their song “Apples”. (Or go to the Remix Wizard gallery to see all the available wizards.) If you are a musician and have the stems to one of your songs, you can create your own Wizard here.

Delhi 2 Dublin is a great example of what many of us expect to see happening more often in the future. Not only have they embraced several sub-categories within the world music genre and fused them together seamlessly, but they are also taking advantage of the many tools available to musicians online these days in terms of remixing, online distribution and promotion, and social networking. Expect great things from these guys!

Delhi 2 Dublin: Indian and Irish Fusion

This past weekend while at NonStop Banghra, a monthly dance party in San Francisco, I was introduced to a fusion of genres that left me positively breathless. I’ve always enjoyed various kinds of Indian dance music – everything from the cheesy but catchy sound of Bollywood musicals and the traditional cultural tunes to the more beat-driven hip hop and dub influenced club songs, and I was pretty sure I’d be a big fan of Banghra. And that I was. But, the highlight of the night was a performance by a group called Delhi 2 Dublin.

D2D “fuses the traditional sounds of tabla, dhol, fiddle, and sitar with cutting edge DJ aesthetics, to create a highly charged multi-cultural dance celebration.” Imagine the energy and cultural fervor of a huge Indian wedding party colliding with a bunch of drunken Irishmen dancing on a wooden table with fiddles! For a good overview of their sound and feel, check out their promo video below:

The most notable band member has to be Kytami. The little firecracker of a violinist not only fiddles faster than hell, but practically performs her own one-woman Stomp-esque sideshow. She is all over the place and her edgy vibe adds an interesting dimension to the makeup of the group.

I spoke to the band leader, Tarun, briefly at the end of the night. He was wearing a lion bandana and beaming with exhilaration. This guy really lives his life out loud. Tarun was born to a Punjabi father and a mother of Irish descent – hence, his fascination with fusing Irish and Indian sounds. He is a classically trained tabla player, a DJ, and a producer, and handles the tabla and electronics on stage.

Delhi 2 Dublin has created their own niche at the intersection of gritty hip hop and electronic beats, traditional Indian influences, and that raw Celtic sound that packs a punch – all of which make you want to get up and dance.