 | | | Many of us have spent the majority of our lives feeling like outcasts. Our foods may smell “funny”; our clothes are too bright, too shiny, and too different; our music is loud and our movies are long. However, the past few months has brought about a cultural revolution. India is penetrating every part of our culture. The runaway hit Slumdog Millionaire has catalyzed the new crop of Indian restaurants in middle America, and gauzy, colorful scarves and Rajastani mirrored shirts fly off the racks in department stores. According to Manj, “Brown is the new color of the season”, and we couldn’t agree more!
This Desi Diva would be remiss if she didn’t acknowledge the trailblazing efforts of RDB. If you have never experienced RDB’s infectious beat, addictive grooves and catchy lyrics, stop reading right now and visit this link before you continue reading:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK7YtwwbR8w. The link will begin your understanding of the universal hip hop, Bhangra and dance appeal that is RDB.
On April 24th, 2009, RDB’s very own Manj & Nindy Kaur, along with Jess Tooray of Dholnation, arrived in New Jersey for their pre-album launch party and concert. Two albums are expected to release this summer; the first and most anticipated is RDB’s album titled “Worldwide,” followed by Nindy Kaur’s self-titled debut album.
Current Album
Manj and Nindy described the upcoming albums as a mixture of Hindi with mainstream, traditional Bhangra beats. Both are expected to hold world appeal, expanding beyond the Punjabi market. The albums have a heavy rock influence on several of the songs, bringing a Western sound to the dance-inducing RDB sound. All their albums have been inspired by the youth and aim to infuse culture awareness into our youth. Having been teased as children, RDB uses music to push through suppression.
Nindy’s solo album is expected to be a Desi Diva favorite. Promising to move past the Spice Girls’ dated slogans, Nindy promises to resurrect girl power and independence with her insightful lyrics and rock edge. Nindy acknowledges that there is a very high expectation for he solo album, as she is also the producer. Her performance leaves no concerns about the success of her solo album.
Nindy and Manj have big goals for their sound, hoping to move into the mainstream music market. They see partnerships with Timberland and 50 Cent, piggybacking on their success with their Snoop Dogg collaboration, as a way to crossover from the Indian market and solidify their place in mainstream world music.
The upcoming RDB album and tour promises a bigger show, including more fireworks, a larger stage show with more dancers, and special guest appearances by Jess Tooray of Dohlnation, who performed at the 2009 Oscars with A.R. Rahman & John Legend.
Singh Is Kinng significance
While the Bollywood film Singh is Kinng met mixed reviews from the Sikh community, the movie’s soundtrack was embraced worldwide. Aside from the familiar Bollywood songs with a heavy Bhangra influence, it was the Snoop Dogg cameo and collaboration on the film’s title track that became an instant worldwide hit, appearing on the iTunes Top Downloads list as well as garnering millions of YouTube hits. Manj had only the kindest words to say about his collaborator, describing Snoop’s down-to-earth nature and his willingness to wear a properly tied turban as opposed to a prefabricated version.
International Harmony
India and Pakistan have made little secret of their decades long distrust for one another. When asked if music can bring the two countries together, Manj expressed concern over the global collaboration. In order for there to be songs of peace, artists must be willing to work together. Artists are more interested in putting others down instead of coming together for a common cause.
However, RDB is hoping that their music will help bridge the divide between the sister countries. RDB have toured Pakistan upwards of 25 times. The country has garnered them the best response and they were treated with the utmost respect.
The Desi Diva
In true Desi Diva fashion, the interview was concluded with posing Nindy the question “What is your definition of a Desi Diva?” She gracefully and eloquently replied “A Desi Diva is a woman who is strong, can think for herself and make decisions on her own. She always makes an effort and looks her best to give 100% in everything she does, and shows pride in all her accomplishments.”
We couldn’t agree more. | | | | Anjali is the Executive Editor of The Desi Diva | | |
