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Panjabi MC

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Panjabi MC
Panjabi MC performing at London Mela in August 2010
Panjabi MC performing at London Mela in August 2010
Background information
Birth nameRajinder Singh Rai
Born (1973-02-14) 14 February 1973 (age 51)
Coventry, England, UK
GenresElectronica, bhangra, alternative hip hop, turntablism, trip hop, Asian underground
OccupationMusician
Years active1993–present
LabelsSuperstar Recordings (Germany)
Urban Records
PMC Records (UK)
Universal (India)
Ultra Music
Websitepmcrecords.com

Rajinder Singh Rai (Punjabi: ਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ; born 1973), better known by his stage name Panjabi MC, is a British musician of Panjabi descent. He is best known for the worldwide bhangra hit, "Mundian To Bach Ke" of 2002, although it originated from 1998, and "Jogi", of 2003. Allmusic has called him "one of the most prominent names in bhangra".[1]

Career

Rajinder Singh adopted his stage name from the Panjabi language he used in the music he plays and rapping.[2] "One of [his] main goals is to fuse the two worlds [of Bhangra and hip-hop]."[3]

Nachural Records signed Panjabi MC following a remix of Kuldeep Manak's "Ghariah Milan De". Although the single was taken off the market, Panjabi MC continued making records. Another successful release was "Mundian To Bach Ke" ("Beware of the Boys") (1998; it first appeared on the album Legalised) which mixed the theme of the TV series Knight Rider with Bhangra. An underground hit on the internet, it was picked up by the German record label Superstar Recordings, and became a hit record in Germany and across Europe, including the UK. A version of this recording in 2003 featured American rapper Jay-Z named "Beware of the Boys".

His work, particularly the early singles and the "Mundian To Bach Ke" remix with Jay-Z, brought bhangra to a global audience via the BBC. He continues to produce music and is ever popular as a collaborator and remixer. In 2004 he made music called "Mirza" and mixed this song with Turkish singer Mustafa Sandal's "Isyankar", but they did not release the mixed version.[4]

His album Indian Timing was released in 2008. His music video Snake Charmer was screened at Deejay Ra's music video night in Toronto at the FILMI festival, North America's longest running South Asian film festival.

Sampling

On Indian Timing, Panjabi MC uses vocal samples from Ofra Haza "Im Nin'Alu". He used "Planet Rock" ("Pyar Wich (Planet Rock Remix)" on the album Legalised) before Afrika Bambaataa recorded "Indian Planet Rock". On "Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee", Panjabi MC uses the theme music from the TV show Magnum, P.I. "Mundian To Bach Ke" (along with the subsequent remix version featuring Jay-Z, "Beware of the Boys") uses the bassline from the television show Knight Rider.[3]

Television work

In 2001, Panjabi MC made his Canadian premiere at the Payal Banquet Hall in Mississauga (Ontario). Deejay Ra hosted a TV special covering the event entitled "The Bhangramentary", which was aired on the Asian Television Network (ATN). His single, "Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee", from Beware, was featured on the television show Heroes (episode 2, Don't Look Back, which aired 2 October 2006). The single "Mundian To Bach Ke" was featured in an episode of Queer as Folk and in the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham. The song "Yaaran Kollon Sikh Kuriye" was featured in the show Wild Boyz as a music video. Panjabi MC has appeared on Top of the Pops, from which the video to "Mundian To Bach Ke" began to appear on music channels across the globe.

Together with Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi, Panjabi MC remixed the popular song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the Bollywood film, Dil Se... This song was used as the background during opening credits for the Hollywood movie Inside Man. Their song "Land of Five Rivers", used as a theme song for the WWE wrestler The Great Khali,[5] features on Voices: WWE The Music, Vol. 9.

Discography

Studio albums

  • Souled Out (1993, Nachural Records)
  • Another Sell Out (1994, Nachural Records)
  • 100% Proof (1995, Nachural Records)
  • Grass Roots (1996, Nachural Records)
  • Magic Desi (1996)
  • Legalised (1998, Nachural Records)
  • Dhol Jageroo Da (2001, Moviebox)
  • Desi (2002, Moviebox)
  • Indian Breaks (2003, Compagnia Nuove Indye)
  • Mundian To Bach Ke (2003, Compagnia Nuove Indye)
  • The Album (German version: Superstar/ Warner; Germany) (French version: Scorpio; France) (UK Version: Instant Karma) (2003)
  • Beware (American version of "The Album"; 2003, Sequence)
  • Steel Bangle (2005, Moviebox)
  • Indian Timing (2008, PMC Records)
  • The Raj (2010, PMC Records)
  • 56 Districts (upcoming release, PMC Records)

Compilation albums

  • Illegal (2006, Nupur Audio)
  • Sentello II (2004, Korsan Cd)

EPs

  • Jatt Ho Gya Sharabi (1996, Nachural Records)
  • Mirza Part Two (1997, Nachural Records)
  • Switchin' (2000, Moviebox)

Awards

References

  1. ^ Andy Kellman (14 February 1970). "Panjabi MC | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ^ [1]Archived 20 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Mix This Young South Asians' Love-Hate Relationship with Hip-Hop's New Indian Beats". Village Voice. Villagevoice.com. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  4. ^ Verma, Rahul. "Asian Allstars" (PDF). British Council. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  5. ^ "Desi Radio, Videos and MP3s, Bollywood Hindi Songs, Bhangra Music and Podcasts". Desihits.com. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  6. ^ "MTV Europe Music Awards 2003 Winner". News.bbc.co.uk. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2003.
  7. ^ "MOBO UK Act of the Year 2003". Rte.ie. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  8. ^ "BRITISH ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS 2004 LAUNCHED". Redhotcurry.com. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
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