Music
Sikh-Malaysian Brothers Storm Onto World Music Scene
by SEAN YOUNG
Two Sikh brothers nicknamed "Malaysia's Bhangra Ambassadors" are on their way to becoming international hit-makers in Punjabi dance music with the help
of stars from Britain and India.
The duo officially known as Goldkartz have released an
album that is the first serious attempt by a Southeast Asian bhangra
recording act to cross over to foreign markets. The CD, titled "24
Karaatz," was launched simultaneously last Friday in Malaysia, Britain,
India and other countries.
"We are a fresh product
for the bhangra scene," Goldkartz member Manjit Singh Gill said in an
interview this week. "We have something different to offer, coming far
from the hub of bhangra."
Modern bhangra blends hip-hop, electronic and rock rhythms with
centuries-old sounds of Punjabi singing, traditional drums and string
instruments. Its popularity grew in Britain in the 1980s after many
Sikhs migrated there.
Goldkartz's album features
collaborations with well-known vocalists, composers and producers in
bhangra and Indian music, including Rishi Rich and Mumzy Stranger from
Britain and Shankar Mahadevan of India.
But the
brothers insist their mostly self-composed work remains distinctive
because their singing is infused with Malaysian cadences unfamiliar to
bhangra fans. The novelty of being a bhangra act that isn't from Europe
or India could also help, they add.
Manjit, 26, and
his 22-year-old brother, Sukhjit Singh, are an anomaly even in
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation where Sikhs number fewer than a few hundred thousand in a population of 28 million.
In 2008,
Goldkartz became the first group to release a Malaysian-made bhangra
album, selling 5,000 CDs in a modest success.
"It was a project of passion," Manjit said. "We had been listening to bhangra from other countries for years."
Their second album was built with a worldwide audience in
mind, recorded over 18 months as Manjit and Sukhjit juggled time between
the studio and their occupations as a lawyer and law student
respectively. They also honed their craft by singing in Malaysian clubs
and at concerts in Australia, Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
Goldkartz's songs highlight themes about romance and having
fun. The chorus of their lead single, "Haa(n) Karde," translates as
"Darling, just tell me yes once, and let's love each other tonight."
Top bhangra record companies in Britain and India are
distributing the album, which was launched at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur
by the Prime Minister's wife.
The brothers, who have performed music together since they were teenagers, plan to tour soon to promote the CD.
[Courtesy: Daily Press]
April 7, 2011