“Shin-sational” Bhangra Icon
By Varinder Rathore
January 17, 2013
Let’s be honest, we really feel that the worlds revolve around the United States and to some extent it’s true. We are the epicenter of technology, cinema, fashion but with regards to Bollywood and Bhangra we have to resign ourselves as mere spectators looking east toward India and the UK with envy. With regards to Bhangra music, “American-desis” broadly fall into one of three categories. The first are “passive bhangrawallas” who will go out to bhangra clubs, enjoy dancing but are not familiar with the songs, artist or bhangra subgenres but shake their hips and shoulders when the need arises. The second group are those that have some “bhangra competence” and can sing along to popular tracks and know some popular artists like Sukshinder Shinda, Honey Singh, and Ms. Pooja. Then there is the third category of “drunken bhangraholics” like myself, who eat, breath and compulsively inject daily doses of boliyan and tappe on our I-phones while screaming out the Panjabi lyrics verbatim at the top of our lungs!
So when I mention Shin, the lead singer of Birmingham-based band DCS, folks like me know they are one of the best live bhangra acts out there and had the worldwide hit single, “O Jaan Meri Ya” with Juggy D, while others may be shrugging their shoulders. Recently, Rachna Kapur (Chief Editor of Urban Milan) and
myself, Varinder Rathore (Music Editor of Urban Milan) caught up with Shin during his recent trip to the Big Apple and we had a plethora of questions about Shin/DCS specifically and the bhangra scene in general:
UM: For those of us in the United States who don't know about DCS, could you please give us a brief introduction to DCS.
Shin: DCS is a Bhangra Band with over 15 hit albums/singles out there. We enjoy performing live because we enjoy entertaining our fans. Any questions please go to our website, dcs-band.com.
UM: DCS is a household name in the UK where bhangra is a respected music genre. Why did bhangra music flourish primarily in the UK and not as much in other countries where South Asians have emigrated like the United States or Canada?
Shin: South Asians came in great numbers to the UK in the 1960s & 70s and with it came a love of Bollywood. Every weekend the cinema halls were the place to catch up with family and friends. In the 1970s there were over 200 cinema halls that showcased Bollywood throughout the UK. However with advent of VCR in the 1980s, these movie halls closed up overnight but young people love to mingle so bhangra concerts provided that social need for the youngsters. While retaining the Panjabi language and melodies we were able to go into uncharted territory, incorporating contemporary sounds around us like reggae,heavy metal and R&B.
UM: The 80s and 90s are considered the “Golden Age of UK Bhangra” with massive live shows and record album sales. Tell us about that.
Shin: It was an amazing time of reasserting our identity and language. Everywhere we went DCS was mobbed by fans. During that time, literally millions of albums were sold in the UK alone however they were sold at local desi dukhans (storefronts, ethnic shops) so bhangra rarely got into the British Charts even though we sold more albums than our main stream counterparts!
UM: What were “daytime gigs” ?
Shin: Well sometimes it is hard for youngsters to leave the confines of their home on a Saturday night. So promoters would have bhangra gigs on a weekdays starting at 1pm and going till 5pm. Teenagers would skip school and have a blast dancing the afternoon away. Good clean fun in my opinion!
UM: There is clearly a widening acceptance of South Asian music as exemplified by the popularity of the Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and success of “Slumdog Millionaire”. Bhangra music is a worldwide phenomenon yet there is a view that Bhangra is not what it used to be, what do you think?
Shin: The bhangra beat is infectious and anywhere in the world we tour we get a massive response. This issue is that earlier a tape or CD carried a monetary value. Now the majority of music is downloaded often for free, thus music has lost much of its intrinsic value. This has clearly hurt music’s bottom line across the board. Albums sales which record companies relied have dried up. To reach the consumer requires more resources such as heavy marketing, cross promotion and elaborate videos and thus at the end of the day the profit margin may not be there. Saying that UK bhangra is bigger than ever and we have sold out concerts around the world. We enjoy performing and there is nothing quite like seeing DCS live.
UM: You have been known to have a melodious voice which ideally suited for Bollywood. Any chance of doing a number for a Bollywood soundtrack?
Shin: Yes, I’ve been asked repeatedly by music directors and producers to work in Bollywood. That would mean I would have to drop everything here and go and struggle in an industry where it’s not what you know but who you know to get anywhere. DCS has stood the test of time and we continue to make great music and excite our fans worldwide, so I’m happy where I am at.
So when I mention Shin, the lead singer of Birmingham-based band DCS, folks like me know they are one of the best live bhangra acts out there and had the worldwide hit single, “O Jaan Meri Ya” with Juggy D, while others may be shrugging their shoulders. Recently, Rachna Kapur (Chief Editor of Urban Milan) and
myself, Varinder Rathore (Music Editor of Urban Milan) caught up with Shin during his recent trip to the Big Apple and we had a plethora of questions about Shin/DCS specifically and the bhangra scene in general:
UM: For those of us in the United States who don't know about DCS, could you please give us a brief introduction to DCS.
Shin: DCS is a Bhangra Band with over 15 hit albums/singles out there. We enjoy performing live because we enjoy entertaining our fans. Any questions please go to our website, dcs-band.com.
UM: DCS is a household name in the UK where bhangra is a respected music genre. Why did bhangra music flourish primarily in the UK and not as much in other countries where South Asians have emigrated like the United States or Canada?
Shin: South Asians came in great numbers to the UK in the 1960s & 70s and with it came a love of Bollywood. Every weekend the cinema halls were the place to catch up with family and friends. In the 1970s there were over 200 cinema halls that showcased Bollywood throughout the UK. However with advent of VCR in the 1980s, these movie halls closed up overnight but young people love to mingle so bhangra concerts provided that social need for the youngsters. While retaining the Panjabi language and melodies we were able to go into uncharted territory, incorporating contemporary sounds around us like reggae,heavy metal and R&B.
UM: The 80s and 90s are considered the “Golden Age of UK Bhangra” with massive live shows and record album sales. Tell us about that.
Shin: It was an amazing time of reasserting our identity and language. Everywhere we went DCS was mobbed by fans. During that time, literally millions of albums were sold in the UK alone however they were sold at local desi dukhans (storefronts, ethnic shops) so bhangra rarely got into the British Charts even though we sold more albums than our main stream counterparts!
UM: What were “daytime gigs” ?
Shin: Well sometimes it is hard for youngsters to leave the confines of their home on a Saturday night. So promoters would have bhangra gigs on a weekdays starting at 1pm and going till 5pm. Teenagers would skip school and have a blast dancing the afternoon away. Good clean fun in my opinion!
UM: There is clearly a widening acceptance of South Asian music as exemplified by the popularity of the Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and success of “Slumdog Millionaire”. Bhangra music is a worldwide phenomenon yet there is a view that Bhangra is not what it used to be, what do you think?
Shin: The bhangra beat is infectious and anywhere in the world we tour we get a massive response. This issue is that earlier a tape or CD carried a monetary value. Now the majority of music is downloaded often for free, thus music has lost much of its intrinsic value. This has clearly hurt music’s bottom line across the board. Albums sales which record companies relied have dried up. To reach the consumer requires more resources such as heavy marketing, cross promotion and elaborate videos and thus at the end of the day the profit margin may not be there. Saying that UK bhangra is bigger than ever and we have sold out concerts around the world. We enjoy performing and there is nothing quite like seeing DCS live.
UM: You have been known to have a melodious voice which ideally suited for Bollywood. Any chance of doing a number for a Bollywood soundtrack?
Shin: Yes, I’ve been asked repeatedly by music directors and producers to work in Bollywood. That would mean I would have to drop everything here and go and struggle in an industry where it’s not what you know but who you know to get anywhere. DCS has stood the test of time and we continue to make great music and excite our fans worldwide, so I’m happy where I am at.