English Dance and Song April 2025
This news item is based on articles in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.
We meet one of the most prolific musicians, composers and record producers on the British Asian music scene, and co-creator of EFDSS’ Bhangra Ceilidh. Interview by Sammie Squire, Marketing & Communications Director.
You pioneered the British Bhangra sound, and you’re renowned for your collaborations with other artists from different genres and continents. Why is this so important to you?
I feel that the beautiful sounds of Indian instruments such as the tabla, sitar and bansuri can be used in many types of music. Composers and arrangers worldwide can create new, exciting music with new palettes of sounds incorporating these rich tonal colours and timbres. The process does sometimes require playing these instruments in a non-idiomatic way, however to find that the results are always effective and exciting. As a self-taught British musician (born in Kenya and of Indian descent) I feel passionate about bringing diverse musical worlds together as a way of celebrating life. Music is a universal language that connects us all. It enables people from different parts of the world to connect despite their language barriers.
Photo: Brian Slater
Photo: Brian Slater Bhangra music originating from Punjab, and developed in Britain, is a perfect example of a cross-cultural genre. Why do you think it’s important to blend cultures through music and the arts?
Music doesn’t belong anywhere – it belongs everywhere! I believe that blending cultures through music and art celebrates and honours them individually, especially when it comes to Indian instruments; they are so recognisable as ‘Indian’ by their appearance and also by the way they sound. I feel proud when I hear them played on stages and in arenas where they wouldn’t normally be seen or heard.
If you think of musical theatre or orchestral music for example, you might not expect to hear tabla or sitar there. However, there have been so many stage productions recently where these instruments are a strong component, particularly when they are played live as part of the pit or stage orchestra. I recently played in Spiderman’s Spider-verse and also a new arrangement of Carol Of The Bells. The composers wanted to include tabla sounds in those pieces. Some people might consider it a strange idea to include Indian drums in a Marvel action hero film or a Christmas carol, but it worked perfectly in the way that the composers had envisaged.
How has your cultural background influenced your identity and voice as a musician in England?
It depends on who I’m speaking to, but sometimes I find it awkward when defining my own cultural background. I mean, how would you culturally identify someone who was born in Kenya with Punjabi heritage raised and educated in London?!
I once played a tabla solo in St Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton. After the applause had died down, I grabbed the microphone and thanked the audience. A woman came up to me in the interval and exclaimed “I loved your tabla solo. It transported me to a magical, mystical place - but then you went and ruined it all by speaking with a London accent!”. It’s moments like this that have taught me how complex the subject is and how each and every person has a different perception. Nowadays, I consider it a blessing that I can switch from speaking English to Punjabi or Hindi at the blink of an eye. Languages are not just words; they are cultures.
My obsessive interest and curiosity in people and their backgrounds has enabled me to understand how music can be a language that ties us all together – it’s a no-brainer! I’ve played tabla in Abidjan with local musicians, Bretagne with folk musicians, worldwide with jazz and orchestral musicians and also in Southall with Somali musicians. Every time, it worked beautifully and celebrated traditions involved.
What have been your biggest inspirations in shaping your musical career?
I admire musicians that can push boundaries whilst making beautiful music. It might surprise some people to learn that there was a time (not long ago) when it was forbidden for black musicians to perform alongside white musicians. Even when things began to improve, there were accepted rules for musicians about how close they could stand to each other. I love listening to stories of how artists such as Nat King Cole overcame and broke these barriers. It’s worth checking out his story and how he developed one of the most popular television shows of his time, despite having to have his face painted white in the earlier episodes. It was his impeccable voice and piano skills that pulled him through the barriers.
How do you approach the process when composing music that spans different genres?
I certainly don’t set out to bring cultures together; it’s not necessarily the aim of my projects. I’m musically driven and want to create new music that is unusual and ‘grabs the ear’ – always listening to different types of music, looking out for styles and sounds that have commonalities. I make a note in my diary when I hear things that could work together. Then, it’s just a matter of time before these ideas just ‘naturally fall into place.’ I end up meeting the right sorts of organisers and musicians that can bring those ideas to reality. Owning a recording studio also helps as it’s a place where I can bring musicians together to try out ideas.
In folk traditions in both England and India (and many other parts of the world), tunes and songs are often passed on through people teaching and learning by ear. What other similarities would we see between them both?
I have been fortunate enough to have played and collaborated in many countries worldwide. From a technical and musical-structure point of view, I can hear similarities in all types of folk music – be it African, Indian, English, Norwegian or Thai. It’s easy to recognise a chorus and verse structure (A section/B section). Many folk tunes are danceable and for that reason, they are musically-structured so that the listeners recognise certain bits and can sing, hum or dance along.
Even some classical compositions sound ‘folky’ to me. For example, when I listen to the pianist Ludovico Einaudi I hear folk tunes in most of his pieces – singable A/B sections. If they were played on fiddle, accordion or flute they would immediately attract the ‘folk ear’, but since he plays them on piano, it attracts a classical audience. I find this fascinating, that some musical genres are considered to be instrument-dependent rather than composition.
As a general rule, Indian folk songs are sung. There are relatively few instrumental folk tunes that come out of India. The ones that do are often instrumental versions of well known folk songs. I love the fact that English folk music comprises both sung and instrumental styles. For me, lyrics in a folk tune can sometimes dilute the emotional impact. I remember seeing a Bulgarian folk choir for the first time. They were performing before me, and their song moved me to tears as I stood in the wings watching. As they walked off stage, I asked one of the singers what the song was about. She replied “the lyrics are about a woman who bought her husband some red socks for his birthday.” All of a sudden, I could appreciate what the woman in Brighton was feeling!
You have also collaborated with EFDSS as a guest tutor for the National Youth Folk Ensemble Cohort 8 in 2024. Please tell us about the experience of working with the Ensemble.
First of all, I’d like to say how amazing it is that the National Youth Folk Ensemble actually exists. It’s a perfect platform for young folk musicians to work together on creating new music and re-imaginging folk tunes from England and beyond. The first time that I worked with the ensemble, I was blown away with the level of skill and talent of the players. It was further inspiring to witness the group create their own musical arrangements of old and modern folk tunes and later learn how to perform them on stage professionally.
You’re a world-famous tabla player, and your vision – to see people from all cultures playing Indian drums in schools, homes and bands – is similar to EFDSS’s of encouraging more people to enjoy folk. How can we work together to achieve our ambitions?
It’s important to me that creators, organisers and producers from diverse backgrounds work together on projects. Collaboration and co-operation are two similar words that could mean the same thing. Projects in which people do this create a newfound affinity within the group as well as honouring each other’s roots and cultures. When it comes to music, it’s a fairly straightforward process because we all share the same notes. The note E played on a sitar in India is no different from the note E played on a piano in London. Yes, they have different timbral and tonal qualities – and they might even be played in different contexts traditionally – but it’s the same note! There are many commonalities when it comes to folk music from different parts of the world.
Bhangra Ceilidh is another brilliant example of a fusion of two folk forms. The inaugural Bhangra Ceilidh event took place in November 2024 at Cecil Sharp House. How was the idea conceived?
At my first National Youth Folk Ensemble retreat, I realised how similar English folk and Punjabi folk styles are – especially the dance tunes. Their structures and symmetry are almost identical, so the idea came to me of combining the two worlds.
I was excited by the notion that creating a ceilidh band comprising Indian and English folk instruments would appeal to both cultures. I could imagine a social dance event where people from both backgrounds danced together: British Indians who had never been to a ceilidh, and ceilidh audiences that might not have seen Indian instruments before. The event was a huge success and people are asking for more!
Photo: Brian Slater
Photo: Brian Slater And what’s next for Bhangra Ceilidh?
There will be another event at Cecil Sharp House this year, plus we are planning to take Bhangra Ceilidh on the road to festivals up and down the country.
What can participants to the events, and listeners to your CD expect?
The Bhangra Ceilidh band presents new dance tunes composed by myself and Becky Price. Audiences can enjoy listening or dancing to the tunes performed by musicians playing both English and Indian instruments. Check out the album if you haven’t already.
Keep up to date with future plans about Bhangra Ceilidh
Bhangra Ceilidh CD is available to buy priced £17.99 at hmv.com
