The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 11:52 PM PDT

British band Kissmet proves that bhangra and rock music have more in common than you'd think.

IT seems inevitable, really. When brothers Ron and Buzz Singh were two young Punjabi boys growing up in Britain in the 1980s, most of their free time was spent watching classic Bollywood films while their mother belted out Elvis songs around the house. In their school, however, the musical talk was all about Genesis, The Police, The Stranglers, Led Zeppelin and The Clash. With the burgeoning popularity of bhangra, the brothers got into the British music scene in the 2000s.

Thanks to their diverse musical influences, the sound they produced was an electrifying combination of bhangra, rock and classical Indian raags, with lyrics in both English and Punjabi. Soon, Ron and Buzz assembled a proper band with a drummer, guitarist and bass player, for a fuller rock feel. And so, Kissmet was born.

"Our music is a symbol of our upbringing," explains Ron in an email interview. "Our Punjabi family was always listening to bhangra and Hindi film music, and our English friends listened to a lot of rock. When we started writing our own material, we found that both these genres were very similar. Bhangra is a very vibrant musical form, full of passion and power. These attributes can be found is rock music as well. We've fused traditional Punjabi folk music seamlessly with Western rock music. And when the two elements combine, the release of energy is incredible! We knew, from our very first rehearsal, that we were onto something very new, very positive, and very good."

Ten years on, Kissmet is at the forefront of the British Asian fusion music scene, and has performed in over 200 international festivals in Europe, South America and Asia, including Glastonbury (Britain's largest festival), The Ollinkan World Music Festival in Mexico and The Orange World Music Festival in Poland.

Now, world music lovers on this side of the globe will get to rock out to dhol beats and guitar wails when Kissmet hits the stage during the 14th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Sarawak next weekend.

Besides Ron on vocals and keyboards, and Buzz on vocals and dhol, their concert will also feature the duo's elder brother Max Singh on the tabla, Lucas Parlato on drums, Alex Kane on bass, Lloyd Davies on guitar and Minaz Kassam as sound engineer.

They will be featured at the festival alongside other prominent world music acts, such as the Warsaw Village Band from Poland, The Shin of Georgia, Kenge Kenge from Kenya, Startijen of France and Lisa Haley and the Zydecats from the USA. The Kissmet members will also be participating in several of the music workshops being held throughout the three-day event.

Drawing inspiration from a whole range of music styles, from Indian playback singers Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar and Punjabi singers Gurdas Mann and A.S. Kang, to Led Zeppelin, Cream, Bob Marley and P.M. Dawn, Kissmet thrives on its diversity and accessibility.

"Bhangra music is all about getting everyone involved and enjoying life. We've taken that essence, and combining it with rock means that we can swap between Punjabi and English. Our vibe is accessible to so many more people," says Ron.

He sees this as increasing the visibility of bhangra worldwide, but in a more inclusive way. "If we performed hardcore desi bhangra to a Western audience, people will switch off after the novelty factor wears off. The same thing would happen if we played pure Western rock music to an Eastern audience. By using both musical forms, we can offer something that will keep both parties interested, by letting them latch on to what they know best and yet still appreciating something different. The 'fusion' element comes from taking two things which, on the surface, look and sound completely different, but underneath are very similar."

Being open to so many influences also means each song penned by Kissmet is likely to deliver something surprising and unique. The group's recently-released first full album, Trippin' The Life Fantastic, features Led Zeppelin riffs alongside dhol beats, and English love songs enhanced by the rhythms of the tabla.

Ron says coming up with their songs is not so much planned as it is an intuitive process.

"It's not really something you can think about, it's something you have to feel," he says.

For example, their song Channa. When Ron was listening to Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream, he says he imagined singing a famous Punjabi song, Chan Kithe, over the riff.

"Even though they sound completely different, I had a feeling they would work well together. The song is now a firm favourite in our set," says Ron.

Looking forward to the RWMF 2011, Ron playfully warns that he fully expects the audience to be a part of the performance.

"Kissmet is all about enjoying the moment, listening with open ears and loving with an open heart. We don't perform to the audience, we work with them, so every gig has a different vibe. We will ask them to sing, dance and live the moment with us. If we do it on stage, we'll ask the audience to do it too!"

The Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 will take place in the Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching, Sarawak, from July 8 to 10. One-day passes are priced at RM110, while three-day passes (not available at venue) are RM300. For purchase of tickets, bookings and enquiries, visit www.ticketcharge.com.my or call 03-9222 8811. For more info on the RWMF, visit www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 3 Julai 2011

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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