Urban bhangra rocks

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The ambassadors of the Indian party music — the “urban bhangra” — to the UK, international-desi band RDB was in the capital recently for the launch of their new number, We Doin It Big.

Alongside RDB brothers, Manj and Surj, the track features 34 of the UK’s Asian musical sensations like Jazzy B, Jassi Sidhu, Apachi Indian, Dr Zeus, Herbie Sahara, Culture Shock, Tanvir Dholi and The Frame Lab.
“We Doin It Big is a positive song, aimed at all those people who feel that they have accomplished something in life. It can be from the smallest thing to a huge achievement,” says Manj.
The band, which has collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg and Kylie Minogue and counts actor Akshay Kumar as a fan, says that their style of music is vibrant, energetic and fun, which is why it easily appeals to the youth.
“We create beats that we love. And our music is all about having one big party and enjoying your life to the fullest,” says Manj.
Elaborating on their unique style of music and how they strike a chord with the Western audiences, the brothers say, “Our music is a fusion of various Western styles and melodious Asian beats and lyrics. This interesting blend is what appeals to the international audience. We have also collaborated with some of the world’s biggest artists to create songs that all audiences, no matter their age, religion or race, will like and identify with,” the duo adds.
According to the duo, Bollywood music is the most popular genre of music in India, and has takers even abroad. “The filmmakers here are experimenting with new sounds and artists. Like adding a feature like a Punjabi hook-line to a song has created a totally new formula for a hit song,” says the duo.
“Music is a constantly changing art form. In fact, if music didn’t evolve it would be a very sad world indeed. From the rock and roll of the 1970s to the 1990s’ dance invasion and today’s pop, music has always changed and evolved over the years. So it stands to reason that Bollywood music will also change and grow. It can only be a good thing, and will highlight the many new talented musicians out there. We will continue to work with these new talents to create music that our fans want and love,” says the duo, adding that they are set to launch their label, Three Records.