The King of Fusion
British singer and composer Taz, of Stereo Nation, to perform at Asian Express
‘Year End Bash’ on 27th December
He’s charming, he’s captivating and he’s certainly entertaining…
British singer, Taz of Stereo Nation needs little introduction. Formerly known as Johnny Zee, he is credited and described as the ‘Pioneer of Pop Fusion’ and ‘King of Fusion’. As a lyricist, composer and producer, Taz quickly became the embodiment of cross-cultural music in the 90s, having won numerous international accolades over the years.
His music is best described as a hybrid of traditional Asian fused with Western pop sensibility, infectious melodies and dynamic dance grooves. Some of Taz’s influences are George Michael, Prince, Jam & Lewis, Babyface, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, R D Burman, Gurdas Maan, Kuldip Manak and Zapp, just to name a few.
Having made his break into Bollywood well over a decade ago, Taz is very much the global phenomenon, having performed to diverse audiences all over the world.
He first hit the charts in 1989 with the album “Hit the Deck” which spent over 36 weeks on the UK Asian pop charts at number one. He went on to produce many albums in the 1990s and early 2000s, which were hugely successful and to date, all but two of his albums have received gold platinum and multi-platinum discs.
His most successful album to date is ‘Slave II Fusion’, released in 2000, which includes many of his most well-known hit songs including ‘Pyar Ho Gaya’, ‘Nachange Saari Raat’, and ‘Gallan Goriyan’.
DCS
a force to be reckoned with…
DCS has been shaking the Bhangra industry and the world’s Asian population ever since they formed in 1983. For many years DCS have scooped the award for “Best Live Band” at all the major award presentations, and Shin has been recognised numerous times for his vocal ability and prowess as the most versatile Punjabi singer.
They have a remarkable, innovative ability to adapt to changing trends. They also play a major part in creating trends and being a role model for up and coming bands.
They were the first band to utilise the modern creative sounds of the synthesizers in the production of the late 80’s Bhangra. This influenced all the Bhangra bands in the competitive market to change their style of music.
The entrepreneurial strategies of DCS have become the main trend to follow, and hence why they have earned an extensive list of awards.
In the 80’s, DCS followed the demands of public research and began adding the traditional Bhangra patterns, those commonly found in the music of renowned artists such as Kuldip Manak, Gurdas Mann, K. Deep and Jagmohan Kaur.
In this age of copy, mix and match, DCS has managed to endeavour originality. Because of this, DCS have earned their respect in the Bhangra industry and have attracted a global following that has been reflected in the outcome of tours worldwide.
DCS is certainly a powerhouse of production, creativity, innovation and talent.
Shin will be performing live at the Year End Bash – don’t miss it!
Bouncing to the tunes of Bonafide
Maz and Ziggy, the two best friends who have grown up together, are a household name, known as ‘Bonafide’.
The pair who sing, compose and produce their own tracks have had smash hits over the last few years, hence creating a bit of a frenzy across the UK, but particularly up here in the North.
The Lancashire-based duo shared the same passion for music when they lived on the same street whilst growing up and before you knew it, the two friends were ‘chilling’ on the streets singing accapella to the latest RnB tracks or beatboxing and rapping to the freshest hip hop tunes they could find.
As their skills increased so did their enjoyment of this noble art. They loved writing lyrics and putting songs together.
Bonafide have been performing at highly publicised gigs and concerts up and down the country and have shared stages with the likes of Raghav, Steve Sutherland, Stereo Nation, Juggy D, Veronica, Zeus and many more.
Not only are Maz and Ziggy vocalists and songwriters, they also showcase their fluency in Hindi and Punjabi in their music. Maz raps fluently in Punjabi as well as English whilst Ziggy has the ability to sing in Hindi and Punjabi as well as English.
They’ve just released their latest track ‘Mahi Ve’ which has had over 90,000 hits on YouTube in two weeks.
Nabz the smooth yet edgy artist
As time moves ahead, new tastes develop – the artist meets another opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone and to cater for a new generation, entering a fresh playing ground that evolves them to the next stage of their delivery.
‘Sunn Dilruba’ recently released by Nabz, captures the journey of his career from being an aspiring artist, to a thriving band member, to a solo artist ready to launch.
Smooth yet edgy, gentle yet urban, romantic yet hard-hitting – all of these elements effortlessly blend together to encapsulate the essence of Nabz.
Nabz is warming up well as a solo artist, after formerly being a member of British Asian pop band NRG produced by their long-standing collaborator Kami K.
He said: “After being part of a successful band for over a decade, going solo is a big shift, both in terms of mindset and responsibility.
“I have learnt a lot from the transition and I’m looking forward to this next stage of my career. I am working harder than ever because I have a lot more to prove – let’s just hope the audiences stay with me on this one!”
