Kissmet

QUOTE: Our ultimate favourite was Kissmet – you've got to have the knack (and guts) to coalesce Bhangra with Led Zeppelin guitar shredding.

---------------

Rainforest World Music Festival: An afterthought
Posted on Jul 13, 2011 by Wai Yeng

In the backwoods of Sarawak, the jungle is juddering with thumping beats. The Sarawak Cultural Village is burrowed in a vast expanse of green with Mount Santubong standing serenely in a distance. Music fans leap heavenward with arms, glow sticks and clapper balloons in the air. They go berserk every time the music tempo quickens, or every time the musicians pull a fast number. The bands – 22 of them from different parts of the world – only grow more energetic with every ‘hurrah’ from the crowd. The rainforest, a halcyon tropical sanctuary just 35km from Kuching, suddenly sprang to life. The annual Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) has finally arrived.

Last year, festivalgoers were beleaguered with a throng of bagpipers but the RWMF showed a shift towards broader genres recently such as flamenco, merengue, Zydeco, Celtic and even Bhangra. The festival this year brought an eclectic mix of bands: The Blue Canyon Boys from the US played Bluegrass, Ilgi trotted out their Latvian folk and Joaquin Diaz lifted our spirits with hip-wriggling Dominican rhythms. Our ultimate favourite was Kissmet – you've got to have the knack (and guts) to coalesce Bhangra with Led Zeppelin guitar shredding. RWMF this year delivered three days of stifling sunshine – the anticipated muddy shindig didn’t happen but we’re not complaining.

One of the most appealing features about the RWMF are the music workshops in the afternoon. Bands explain their music traditions, origin, instrument history, and gave snippets of what to expect during the real concert. But, we were especially surprised by the spontaneous jamming session. In a percussion workshop for example, bands would play their respective traditional instruments in a joint performance ad lib – the amalgamation of dhol (Punjabi), conga (Cuban) and beben (Polish) sounded like a harmonious orchestra. Other classes, which also hurled us into serious feet-tapping, were the guitar, female vocals, fiddles and Latvian dance workshops. We had fun galloping, whirling and cheering with people whom we’ve never met before.

The RWMF has always been more than just music – it advocates the tralatitious music traditions, community, globalisation and culture. But, the crowd hardly see past the role of music festivals like the RWMF. All they want to do is to swig down some beer, dance like a drunkard and head-bob to the music. There’s nothing wrong with having fun, of course. Whenever the musicians explicate their musical background however, the audience tunes out. In fact, every band has a story to tell – Mamak Khadem (band from Iran) said that her country is depicted as centre of terrorism and she wants to change that mindset through music; Malike Pathe Sow (Senegal) believes that music reach people who are politically unaware; Masters of the Sape (Sarawak) admitted that sape-making is dying and their descendants do not know how to play the sape at all. These important messages sometimes fall on deaf ears.

Music festivals have opened doors for bands to promote their music and culture but their effort will be futile if the audience choose to be ignorant. Cross-cultural performances like these help musicians preserve their custom, spread their culture and prevent their traditions from being extinct. Thus, when you pray for rain so that you can frolic in a mudfest next time, think again. Think about how musicians painstakingly care for their precious instruments from being damaged by the humidity. RWMF has made world music accessible to everyone. The least we can do is to appreciate what the musicians preach about through their music.


- Time Out!

QUOTE: Our ultimate favourite was Kissmet – you've got to have the knack (and guts) to coalesce Bhangra with Led Zeppelin guitar shredding.

---------------

Rainforest World Music Festival: An afterthought
Posted on Jul 13, 2011 by Wai Yeng

In the backwoods of Sarawak, the jungle is juddering with thumping beats. The Sarawak Cultural Village is burrowed in a vast expanse of green with Mount Santubong standing serenely in a distance. Music fans leap heavenward with arms, glow sticks and clapper balloons in the air. They go berserk every time the music tempo quickens, or every time the musicians pull a fast number. The bands – 22 of them from different parts of the world – only grow more energetic with every ‘hurrah’ from the crowd. The rainforest, a halcyon tropical sanctuary just 35km from Kuching, suddenly sprang to life. The annual Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) has finally arrived.

Last year, festivalgoers were beleaguered with a throng of bagpipers but the RWMF showed a shift towards broader genres recently such as flamenco, merengue, Zydeco, Celtic and even Bhangra. The festival this year brought an eclectic mix of bands: The Blue Canyon Boys from the US played Bluegrass, Ilgi trotted out their Latvian folk and Joaquin Diaz lifted our spirits with hip-wriggling Dominican rhythms. Our ultimate favourite was Kissmet – you've got to have the knack (and guts) to coalesce Bhangra with Led Zeppelin guitar shredding. RWMF this year delivered three days of stifling sunshine – the anticipated muddy shindig didn’t happen but we’re not complaining.

One of the most appealing features about the RWMF are the music workshops in the afternoon. Bands explain their music traditions, origin, instrument history, and gave snippets of what to expect during the real concert. But, we were especially surprised by the spontaneous jamming session. In a percussion workshop for example, bands would play their respective traditional instruments in a joint performance ad lib – the amalgamation of dhol (Punjabi), conga (Cuban) and beben (Polish) sounded like a harmonious orchestra. Other classes, which also hurled us into serious feet-tapping, were the guitar, female vocals, fiddles and Latvian dance workshops. We had fun galloping, whirling and cheering with people whom we’ve never met before.

The RWMF has always been more than just music – it advocates the tralatitious music traditions, community, globalisation and culture. But, the crowd hardly see past the role of music festivals like the RWMF. All they want to do is to swig down some beer, dance like a drunkard and head-bob to the music. There’s nothing wrong with having fun, of course. Whenever the musicians explicate their musical background however, the audience tunes out. In fact, every band has a story to tell – Mamak Khadem (band from Iran) said that her country is depicted as centre of terrorism and she wants to change that mindset through music; Malike Pathe Sow (Senegal) believes that music reach people who are politically unaware; Masters of the Sape (Sarawak) admitted that sape-making is dying and their descendants do not know how to play the sape at all. These important messages sometimes fall on deaf ears.

Music festivals have opened doors for bands to promote their music and culture but their effort will be futile if the audience choose to be ignorant. Cross-cultural performances like these help musicians preserve their custom, spread their culture and prevent their traditions from being extinct. Thus, when you pray for rain so that you can frolic in a mudfest next time, think again. Think about how musicians painstakingly care for their precious instruments from being damaged by the humidity. RWMF has made world music accessible to everyone. The least we can do is to appreciate what the musicians preach about through their music.


- Time Out!

But it was the closing act by bhangra-rock fusion band Kissmet from the UK which many of the audience members stayed to watch despite the approaching midnight hour.

Over the course of two days, the group had created a buzz about their music during various workshop sessions, and this had whetted festival goers’ appetite for more.

The group did not disappoint, unleashing a wall of infectious rhythm and electric keyboard and guitar driven dance music which set the appreciative crowd off into a moshing and singing frenzy.

---------------

KUCHING: The 14th Rainforest World Music Festival ended on a high note with a grand finale which left many festival goers vowing to return for next year’s festival.

Mamak Khadem from Iran kicked off the night’s concert with a transcendental set which featured classical Persian poetry and music, fusing traditional sounds with contemporary styles to create an aurally surreal atmosphere amidst the towering trees of Santubong rainforest.

Brittany-based Startijen raised the tempo a notch with their unique rendition of folk dance music using instruments unique to France. They were followed by oud maestros Jean-Pierre and Mehdi Haddab representing Duoud (Tunisia/Algeria) who whipped the growing crowd into a dancing mob with blazingly fast fingerwork on their electric North African lutes against a backdrop of thumping electronic music and throbbing stage lights.

It was then up to Kenge Kenge Orutu System (Kenya) to keep the dance fever going, which they did with an energetic performance of creatively choreographed skits and dance sequences. Thanks to the group’s high enthusiasm, it did not take the audience long to warm up to the sounds of Kenya’s traditional luo music conveyed through a unique assortment of self-made traditional instruments coupled with the animated voices and chants delivered by their front man and other vocalists.

Award-winning Malike Pathe Sow (Senegal) almost did not get to perform because their airline had misplaced their musical instruments. The group was originally slotted to perform on Friday night but swapped places with another group in the hope that their instruments would arrive on time.

Thankfully, they did and the crowd was treated to music from North Senegal. The group has musical roots which go back at least 1,000 years, and which has influenced other more well known music genres such as Afro-Caribbean.

But it was the closing act by bhangra-rock fusion band Kissmet from the UK which many of the audience members stayed to watch despite the approaching midnight hour.

Over the course of two days, the group had created a buzz about their music during various workshop sessions, and this had whetted festival goers’ appetite for more.

The group did not disappoint, unleashing a wall of infectious rhythm and electric keyboard and guitar driven dance music which set the appreciative crowd off into a moshing and singing frenzy.

It was the late hour yet the crowd stayed to show their appreciation to all the 22 groups which performed over the three days of the festival. They appeared on stage for one last combined performance in the grand finale. The audience also applauded the festival’s sponsors and multitude of volunteers, without whose support, the festival would not have been possible. Earlier during the festival, Sarawak Tourism Board vowed to maintain and improve the festival’s standing as one of the top international festivals.

- The Borneo Post

But it was the closing act by bhangra-rock fusion band Kissmet from the UK which many of the audience members stayed to watch despite the approaching midnight hour.

Over the course of two days, the group had created a buzz about their music during various workshop sessions, and this had whetted festival goers’ appetite for more.

The group did not disappoint, unleashing a wall of infectious rhythm and electric keyboard and guitar driven dance music which set the appreciative crowd off into a moshing and singing frenzy.

---------------

KUCHING: The 14th Rainforest World Music Festival ended on a high note with a grand finale which left many festival goers vowing to return for next year’s festival.

Mamak Khadem from Iran kicked off the night’s concert with a transcendental set which featured classical Persian poetry and music, fusing traditional sounds with contemporary styles to create an aurally surreal atmosphere amidst the towering trees of Santubong rainforest.

Brittany-based Startijen raised the tempo a notch with their unique rendition of folk dance music using instruments unique to France. They were followed by oud maestros Jean-Pierre and Mehdi Haddab representing Duoud (Tunisia/Algeria) who whipped the growing crowd into a dancing mob with blazingly fast fingerwork on their electric North African lutes against a backdrop of thumping electronic music and throbbing stage lights.

It was then up to Kenge Kenge Orutu System (Kenya) to keep the dance fever going, which they did with an energetic performance of creatively choreographed skits and dance sequences. Thanks to the group’s high enthusiasm, it did not take the audience long to warm up to the sounds of Kenya’s traditional luo music conveyed through a unique assortment of self-made traditional instruments coupled with the animated voices and chants delivered by their front man and other vocalists.

Award-winning Malike Pathe Sow (Senegal) almost did not get to perform because their airline had misplaced their musical instruments. The group was originally slotted to perform on Friday night but swapped places with another group in the hope that their instruments would arrive on time.

Thankfully, they did and the crowd was treated to music from North Senegal. The group has musical roots which go back at least 1,000 years, and which has influenced other more well known music genres such as Afro-Caribbean.

But it was the closing act by bhangra-rock fusion band Kissmet from the UK which many of the audience members stayed to watch despite the approaching midnight hour.

Over the course of two days, the group had created a buzz about their music during various workshop sessions, and this had whetted festival goers’ appetite for more.

The group did not disappoint, unleashing a wall of infectious rhythm and electric keyboard and guitar driven dance music which set the appreciative crowd off into a moshing and singing frenzy.

It was the late hour yet the crowd stayed to show their appreciation to all the 22 groups which performed over the three days of the festival. They appeared on stage for one last combined performance in the grand finale. The audience also applauded the festival’s sponsors and multitude of volunteers, without whose support, the festival would not have been possible. Earlier during the festival, Sarawak Tourism Board vowed to maintain and improve the festival’s standing as one of the top international festivals.

- The Borneo Post

QUOTE: None induced as much frenzy or screaming as bhangra-rock band Kissmet. Marrying the beat-heavy Punjabi folk music with guitar riffs and wails, the British act was the perfect finale for a festival that saw the coming together of the traditional and the cutting edge.

==========

The Rainforest World Music Festival was the place to let your inner flower child dance free.

For the three days that you are at the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Santubong, Sarawak, it’s easy to believe that the hustle and bustle of everyday life has completely faded away. After all, you are tucked away inside the lush rainforest at the base of the towering Mount Santubong, and music – almost every kind you could think of – envelops you wherever you go.

What more do you need to let your inner flower child dance free?

And dance the festival-goers certainly did as they revelled in the huge array of music that was on offer this year at the festival, and none induced as much frenzy or screaming as bhangra-rock band Kissmet. Marrying the beat-heavy Punjabi folk music with guitar riffs and wails, the British act was the perfect finale for a festival that saw the coming together of the traditional and the cutting edge.

Now in its 14th year, the RWMF has become a major draw for Sarawak, evolving from a humble music festival in the rainforest to a full-blown three-day event. Held last weekend at the Sarawak Cultural Village, the 20,000-odd visitors (over three days) to the festival were treated not only to a variety of world music styles, but also a huge range of cultural activites, food and craft stalls.

Despite what many perceive as the increasing commercialisation of the festival, however, one aspect remains firmly loyal to its roots: the music.

RWMF co-founder and artistic director Randy Raine-Reusch said the aim of the festival was to showcase bands that are taking traditional or folk music forms and bringing it into contemporary times.

“Each band performing at the festival was selected for one reason,” he added. “That is, they are simply the best at what they do.”

Featuring 22 acts this time around (including two from Malaysia), RWMF is still undeniably Malaysia’s premiere world music event, and was even named one of the 25 best international festivals in the world by the British magazine Songlines.

The festival’s unique format of coupling the evening concerts with performers’ workshops in the afternoons is a winning idea that highlights not just the various acts’ music but also the skills, stories and processes behind their music. The acts themselves were as varied as you can get, with everything from zydeco and blugrass to Sufi music and bachata popping up during the evening concerts.

One of the most infectious performances had to be by Lisa Haley and the Zydecats of the USA, with their irresistably catchy neo-traditional Cajun zydeco music. Thanks to Haley’s incredible energy, powerful fiddling and even more powerful voice, the audience was soon boogeying along to the band’s Louisiana-style sounds.


Persian beats: Mamak Khadem (left) from Iran showing off her skills on a traditional drum from Kurdistan.

Equally energetic was the performance by Kamafei, a south Italian band that plays folk dance music known as pizzica-pizzica, which is built around the frenzied rhythm of the tambourine. Putting their own spin on it, the band blends in reggae, dub, rock, flamenco and hip-hop stylings that add an urban edge, and practically demands that the audience dance.

Frigg, a “Nordgrass” (Nordic bluegrass) band from Finland, was another highlight of the festival, with four extremely talented violinists who simply took our breaths away with their flawlessly frenetic fiddling. Combining the homestyle simplicity of bluegrass with classically-trained techniques, it was a performance that was as fun as it was impressive.

Talking about fun, the members of the Kenge Kenge Orutu System of Kenya definitely had a rollicking time onstage as they accompanied their traditional Luo music with self-made instruments, strong percussion and rich, lively singing and chants. Their enthusiastic dancing added a cheeky flavour, and really got the crowd moving.

Another favourite was Kamerunga from Australia, a Celtic-influenced band that incorporates funk, jazz and reggae with a multitude of instruments, including the mandolin, guitar, saxophone and didgeridoo. Their music spoke of Australia’s many influences, from Aboriginal sounds to sea shanties to bush ballads, but with a healthy dose of rock and classical music.

One got the feeling, however, that some of the acts would have worked much better in a more intimate setting. Iskwew from Canada, who perform songs in the plains tradition of the North American aboriginals, for example, did not hold the audience’s attention in the concerts as much as they did during workshops.


Perfect finale: Ron Singh of Kissmet from Britain wrapping up the f - Malasian Star

QUOTE: None induced as much frenzy or screaming as bhangra-rock band Kissmet. Marrying the beat-heavy Punjabi folk music with guitar riffs and wails, the British act was the perfect finale for a festival that saw the coming together of the traditional and the cutting edge.

==========

The Rainforest World Music Festival was the place to let your inner flower child dance free.

For the three days that you are at the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Santubong, Sarawak, it’s easy to believe that the hustle and bustle of everyday life has completely faded away. After all, you are tucked away inside the lush rainforest at the base of the towering Mount Santubong, and music – almost every kind you could think of – envelops you wherever you go.

What more do you need to let your inner flower child dance free?

And dance the festival-goers certainly did as they revelled in the huge array of music that was on offer this year at the festival, and none induced as much frenzy or screaming as bhangra-rock band Kissmet. Marrying the beat-heavy Punjabi folk music with guitar riffs and wails, the British act was the perfect finale for a festival that saw the coming together of the traditional and the cutting edge.

Now in its 14th year, the RWMF has become a major draw for Sarawak, evolving from a humble music festival in the rainforest to a full-blown three-day event. Held last weekend at the Sarawak Cultural Village, the 20,000-odd visitors (over three days) to the festival were treated not only to a variety of world music styles, but also a huge range of cultural activites, food and craft stalls.

Despite what many perceive as the increasing commercialisation of the festival, however, one aspect remains firmly loyal to its roots: the music.

RWMF co-founder and artistic director Randy Raine-Reusch said the aim of the festival was to showcase bands that are taking traditional or folk music forms and bringing it into contemporary times.

“Each band performing at the festival was selected for one reason,” he added. “That is, they are simply the best at what they do.”

Featuring 22 acts this time around (including two from Malaysia), RWMF is still undeniably Malaysia’s premiere world music event, and was even named one of the 25 best international festivals in the world by the British magazine Songlines.

The festival’s unique format of coupling the evening concerts with performers’ workshops in the afternoons is a winning idea that highlights not just the various acts’ music but also the skills, stories and processes behind their music. The acts themselves were as varied as you can get, with everything from zydeco and blugrass to Sufi music and bachata popping up during the evening concerts.

One of the most infectious performances had to be by Lisa Haley and the Zydecats of the USA, with their irresistably catchy neo-traditional Cajun zydeco music. Thanks to Haley’s incredible energy, powerful fiddling and even more powerful voice, the audience was soon boogeying along to the band’s Louisiana-style sounds.


Persian beats: Mamak Khadem (left) from Iran showing off her skills on a traditional drum from Kurdistan.

Equally energetic was the performance by Kamafei, a south Italian band that plays folk dance music known as pizzica-pizzica, which is built around the frenzied rhythm of the tambourine. Putting their own spin on it, the band blends in reggae, dub, rock, flamenco and hip-hop stylings that add an urban edge, and practically demands that the audience dance.

Frigg, a “Nordgrass” (Nordic bluegrass) band from Finland, was another highlight of the festival, with four extremely talented violinists who simply took our breaths away with their flawlessly frenetic fiddling. Combining the homestyle simplicity of bluegrass with classically-trained techniques, it was a performance that was as fun as it was impressive.

Talking about fun, the members of the Kenge Kenge Orutu System of Kenya definitely had a rollicking time onstage as they accompanied their traditional Luo music with self-made instruments, strong percussion and rich, lively singing and chants. Their enthusiastic dancing added a cheeky flavour, and really got the crowd moving.

Another favourite was Kamerunga from Australia, a Celtic-influenced band that incorporates funk, jazz and reggae with a multitude of instruments, including the mandolin, guitar, saxophone and didgeridoo. Their music spoke of Australia’s many influences, from Aboriginal sounds to sea shanties to bush ballads, but with a healthy dose of rock and classical music.

One got the feeling, however, that some of the acts would have worked much better in a more intimate setting. Iskwew from Canada, who perform songs in the plains tradition of the North American aboriginals, for example, did not hold the audience’s attention in the concerts as much as they did during workshops.


Perfect finale: Ron Singh of Kissmet from Britain wrapping up the f - Malasian Star

Luckily Kissmet steal the show as the sun sets behind the trees, bathing the crowd in a warm orange glow. Fusing Bhangra and rock with cataclysmic live drumming and an epic sound never again surpassed over the weekend every song played carries amazing energy and each is worthy of a finale. When it finally comes, the intense cover of Cream’s ‘Sunshine of your Love’ leaves the crowd so hot that the fresh rain evaporates before it can hit the ground. - eFestivals.co.uk

Trippin' the Life Fantastic [ALBUM TITLE]
Kissmet [ ARTIST ]
Buzzin Records
Full Price 56:14 minutes long

****

Possibly the perfect rock crossover album. All the vim and vigour of Bhangra music combined with prog rock stadium vocals creating a "Phil Collins meets Robert Plant in Bollywood" style - and that’s not all, this album contains a fair few twists and surprises that will energise and keep you on your toes.

‘Trippin’ the Life Fantastic’ is the first full album for British based Kissmet, lovingly produced and mixed in their own studios. The realisation of Singh brothers, Buzz and Ron, who grew up with their mother singing Elvis songs around the house and a childhood watching endless screenings of classic Indian films in their family owned cinema. As teenagers in the 80's, Genesis, The Police, The Stranglers to name a few, completed their musical education, one which would equip them for their future and fitted seamlessly with the rows and rows of bhangra tapes in the shops and their relative’s homes.

It’s thus a perfect marriage and a natural conclusion, to hear their thoroughly entertaining, ‘A Whole Lotta Nachna’, that famous Led Zep cut, with its guitar riff cranked up, a dhol backbeat and a fair bit of electric guitar slicing through the air to keep the audience wired and in the mosh pit. You get a real sense of their live stage presence, as the brothers skilfully mix in live recordings with studio takes, to create an energy which is carried into the next track ‘Why Oi!!!’ and indeed, right across the album.

Classic rock fans can’t fail to appreciate ‘Channa’ in which Cream’s Sunshine of Your Life is fused with Chan Kithe, the famous Punjabi song. Given the Kissmet once over, it has more screams and longer tongues than both Kali and American rockers Kiss and just when you thought the speaker stack may well collapse, recovery comes in the form of two love songs. ‘Rainbow’s Gold’ and ‘I Need Your Love’ with lyrics courtesy of Ron Singh, a man with so much love it hurts and underpinned by gentle tabla playing from the other brother, Max who also excels in the more psychedelic ambient track, ‘Dodge the Rain’. Put together like the perfect live set, you can almost smell the mud, incense and sweat of the festival crowds, where Kissmet have a forged an unrivalled live reputation.

Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man. Give me a child with roots in the Punjab, born and educated in Peterborough and I will show you Kissmet.

Jill Turner
Songlines - Songlines - The UK's largest World Music publication...

Richard Ginger talks to Ron Singh of Peterborough band Kissmet. Perhaps it was fate, but growing up in Peterborough during the Seventies created just the right conditions fur brothers Ron and Buzz Singh's musical ambitions to grow and eventually flower. The result is Kissmet, a heady fusion of Asian and English rock music. As UK-born second generation Indians, Ron says the Singh brothers' upbringing was marked by a particularly positive duality. "We grew up with one foot on both sides of the cultural line. Our parents were really strong on the cultural aspects and showed us all about our heritage. But in a school of about a thousand pupils we were two of only five Asians there, so obviously we had to integrate with everybody else." While some may find such an experience unsettling, from an early age Ron and Buzz realised the unique opportunities it presented. One way of looking at it is that you don't fit into either side. But another way is to learn from the different cultures and take the best bits from both. With my brother and myself we feel at home wherever we are." So while school hours were accompanied by a soundtrack made up of English rock music, at home the pair listened to more traditional forms of Indian music. "It enabled us to have a lot of access to both Asian and English music." Their growing interest in music meant the pair were constant gig-goers throughout their formative years, and enjoyed seeing English rock bands in Peterborough's pubs and venues. However, Ron noticed that the reaction most of the rock bands received from the audience was altogether different to that at a Bhangra gig. "In pubs with live rock music everyone stood at the bar watching the band. At a Bhangra gig it was the complete opposite, no one was at the bar, they were all on the floor moving. We thought that if we could combine the quality of the musicianship of all the rock bands with the atmosphere of a Bhangra gig we'd definitely be on a winner" The seeds were sown. Recruiting the talents of older brother Max on tabla and three other musicians, drummer Thorin Dixon, bass guitarist Marc Knight and guitarist John Neville, Kissmet was born. "We formed the band about three years ago and it's gone from strength to strength. Before that Buzz and I had been playing in a Bhangra band, the traditional music of the Sikh people." Describing Bhangra's musical style as a "really loud and in-your-face dance music", by fusing it with the Western music Ron says the sound produced is without precedent. But popular music has an almost insatiable desire to pigeonhole each appearing musical form, and Kissmet's fusion of two apparently different styles of music can cause problems for the band. "Sometimes it works to our advantage and sometimes it doesn't. People like agents, record companies and promoters want to be able to pigeonhole you and say that the band sounds like this. But we haven't really got a sound like anyone else." But if pushed how would he describe his band's music? "We call it funky-bhangra-rock, as it includes all those elements," he laughs. "If I had to name some bands that we are like, I would have to say The Stereophonics mixed with Punjabi MC. And that sounds really weird." Ron says the reaction of audiences at Kissmet's first gigs was interesting to witness, "Initially they were saying this is really good but we don't understand it. And it's the same whenever we play in a new place. When we first played Peterborough the only Asian music people had seen was on BBC2 on a Sunday morning. But we are playing something that is Indian but very Western as well." Yet any remaining doubters have soon been convened as Kissmet's uniquely infectious and groundbreaking sound has cut through any earlier confusion. "After our first gig people were coming up to us and saying they had never heard anything like us before. Now they are really getting into it, moving and chanting the songs with us. It's fantastic." Musically Ron remains keen to continue exploring the ways music from different cultures can be blended together in a way that produces something altogether new. He particularly likes to take songs from both Western and Asian cultures that are well known to their respective audiences but not to others outside those cultural perimeters. He explains, "Sunshine of Your love by Cream is famous on the Western circuit, but would not be so well known on the Eastern side. And on the Eastern side there's a song called Channa Kiteb Goozariah that is just as famous, but unknown by Western people." Ron decided to experiment with the two songs and integrate them together. "They don't sound anything alike at all, but I took the Indian song's Punjabi lyrics and sang them over the Cream rift. They fitted together so well, it's perfect." For Ron the success of this and other experiments says something about the true nature of music. "It's a case of music being the same language but with different dialects." Such an approach pr - East Life...

Richard Ginger talks to Ron Singh of Peterborough band Kissmet. Perhaps it was fate, but growing up in Peterborough during the Seventies created just the right conditions fur brothers Ron and Buzz Singh's musical ambitions to grow and eventually flower. The result is Kissmet, a heady fusion of Asian and English rock music. As UK-born second generation Indians, Ron says the Singh brothers' upbringing was marked by a particularly positive duality. "We grew up with one foot on both sides of the cultural line. Our parents were really strong on the cultural aspects and showed us all about our heritage. But in a school of about a thousand pupils we were two of only five Asians there, so obviously we had to integrate with everybody else." While some may find such an experience unsettling, from an early age Ron and Buzz realised the unique opportunities it presented. One way of looking at it is that you don't fit into either side. But another way is to learn from the different cultures and take the best bits from both. With my brother and myself we feel at home wherever we are." So while school hours were accompanied by a soundtrack made up of English rock music, at home the pair listened to more traditional forms of Indian music. "It enabled us to have a lot of access to both Asian and English music." Their growing interest in music meant the pair were constant gig-goers throughout their formative years, and enjoyed seeing English rock bands in Peterborough's pubs and venues. However, Ron noticed that the reaction most of the rock bands received from the audience was altogether different to that at a Bhangra gig. "In pubs with live rock music everyone stood at the bar watching the band. At a Bhangra gig it was the complete opposite, no one was at the bar, they were all on the floor moving. We thought that if we could combine the quality of the musicianship of all the rock bands with the atmosphere of a Bhangra gig we'd definitely be on a winner" The seeds were sown. Recruiting the talents of older brother Max on tabla and three other musicians, drummer Thorin Dixon, bass guitarist Marc Knight and guitarist John Neville, Kissmet was born. "We formed the band about three years ago and it's gone from strength to strength. Before that Buzz and I had been playing in a Bhangra band, the traditional music of the Sikh people." Describing Bhangra's musical style as a "really loud and in-your-face dance music", by fusing it with the Western music Ron says the sound produced is without precedent. But popular music has an almost insatiable desire to pigeonhole each appearing musical form, and Kissmet's fusion of two apparently different styles of music can cause problems for the band. "Sometimes it works to our advantage and sometimes it doesn't. People like agents, record companies and promoters want to be able to pigeonhole you and say that the band sounds like this. But we haven't really got a sound like anyone else." But if pushed how would he describe his band's music? "We call it funky-bhangra-rock, as it includes all those elements," he laughs. "If I had to name some bands that we are like, I would have to say The Stereophonics mixed with Punjabi MC. And that sounds really weird." Ron says the reaction of audiences at Kissmet's first gigs was interesting to witness, "Initially they were saying this is really good but we don't understand it. And it's the same whenever we play in a new place. When we first played Peterborough the only Asian music people had seen was on BBC2 on a Sunday morning. But we are playing something that is Indian but very Western as well." Yet any remaining doubters have soon been convened as Kissmet's uniquely infectious and groundbreaking sound has cut through any earlier confusion. "After our first gig people were coming up to us and saying they had never heard anything like us before. Now they are really getting into it, moving and chanting the songs with us. It's fantastic." Musically Ron remains keen to continue exploring the ways music from different cultures can be blended together in a way that produces something altogether new. He particularly likes to take songs from both Western and Asian cultures that are well known to their respective audiences but not to others outside those cultural perimeters. He explains, "Sunshine of Your love by Cream is famous on the Western circuit, but would not be so well known on the Eastern side. And on the Eastern side there's a song called Channa Kiteb Goozariah that is just as famous, but unknown by Western people." Ron decided to experiment with the two songs and integrate them together. "They don't sound anything alike at all, but I took the Indian song's Punjabi lyrics and sang them over the Cream rift. They fitted together so well, it's perfect." For Ron the success of this and other experiments says something about the true nature of music. "It's a case of music being the same language but with different dialects." Such an approach pr - East Life...