A band in demand
Mon, December 10 2007
By Angela Lee
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Delhi 2 Dublin releases its
first CD of highenergy
Punjabi-Celtic fusion Dec 13
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Delhi 2 Dublin gives you both. A two-year-old collaboration between five established world music artists – tabla-player Tarun Nayar, Celtic violinist Kytami, dhol drummer Ravi Binning, guitarist Andrew Kim and vocalist Sanjay Senar – Delhi 2 Dublin fuses the traditional sounds of North India and Ireland together with cutting edge dance rhythms and DJ aesthetics.
While venerable CBC host Peter Mansbridge flubbed the group’s name during this year’s massive Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Delhi 2 Dublin’s exuberant live performances have made it very much a band in demand on the West Coast festival scene.
Next Thursday, the band releases its first, full-length, self-titled CD, and hopes to bring its musical innovation to a wider audience.
The CD is mixed by Adham Sheikh and plays with reggae, break beat, drum n bass and hip hop influences.
According to vocalist Seran, Delhi 2 Dublin didn’t set out to change the sound of club music. All the group wanted to do was make music they could dance to.
“Teran is convinced the best dance music in the world is a combination of Indian and Irish music,” he says. “We basically took two heavy-drinking cultures and put them together, and this what we got. It’s a big mash-up of high energy styles that we draw from wherever, really. Yes, it’s fusion, but we like to stay away from the trendy meaning of the word.”
Whether they intended to or not, by bringing their innovative mix of Punjabi and Celtic music to the public, Delhi 2 Dublin has forged a movement away from cultural constrictions and towards a greater appreciation for music without borders.
“I’ve had someone tell me that this is what Canadian music is supposed to be like,” adds Seran. Now if only Peter Mansbridge can get their name right.Thu Dec 13 at The Red Room (398 Richards St). 9pm. Tix $15/10.
Info: www.delhi2dublin.com.
