Bhangra just got a whole lot better….introducing Jaz Dhami! This multi-talented young man has taken the UK Asian Music scene by a storm, with a breathtaking voice and the credentials to go with it! Already gaining a strong diverse fan base, Jaz Dhami’s hard work has certainly paid off, making him the most talked-about addition to the Bhangra scene. I have a chat with Jaz Dhami exclusively for B4U to find out about his music, travels, and what’s in store for the future!
Your father was in a 80s Bhangra group, has a lot of your inspiration come from him? How has your upbringing influenced your music?
My farther has been pivotal in my career, he was the very reason that I am in music. He has and still is a massive inspiration to my career, without him l would not be where I am today. I am very thankful to him.
As a youngster my farther would encourage me to excel within music, enrolling me with music tutors, teaching me instruments as well as teaching me positive life morals which I still uphold today.
My family themselves are quite traditional which has of course influenced my music in terms of the genres that I sing and the content of my music.
 You have really taken your career seriously, and have studied musical theory and different styles extensively. How has this helped in your music? Is there anywhere in particular that you have studied that has made a greater impact on your music?
Music is my life and I take it very seriously, which is why I have made it a priority in every step that I have taken in my life.
Yes I have studied within the music genre extensively and it has been beneficial as it enabled me to learn the real in’s and out’s of music from not just a singing perspective, but from a production and compositional perspective too.
In answer to your last question, I cannot really say that one particular course or place has made more of an impact than the other as each has given me different benefits, which as a whole has made me who I am now.
A lot of your studying has happened in India, having been born in the UK, what was it like to study and live there?
It was a very transitional period in my life, studying in India. As you know India is very different from the UK and my lifestyle changed considerably. It was difficult, as I left my family behind me and I had to live in Punjab which was a big culture shock. But in life you have to make sacrifices sometimes in order to achieve and I gained a lot from studying in India. For example it gave me the opportunity to strengthen my Punjabi and Hindi linguistics and develop a strong classical foundation in which to build my music career on.
Being a UK born Asian, is it important for you to create a fusion of the east meets west culture in your music?
Yes definitely. Its important as it first and foremost represents the British Asian culture which exists today and secondly it gives the opportunity for those who don’t really listen to eastern music to taste its flavour by incorporating western mixes within it.
Also it gives youngsters the opportunity to learn about the Punjabi culture within the context of a song that may have a western feel to it. Which is great.
As a young artist, what are your views on the bhangra scene? Many argue that it is slowly dying; do you feel that it is still a prominent genre in the music scene today?
I don’t agree with that. I feel with the advent of You Tube and Facebook the Bhangra scene is more alive and kicking as ever as we now have more of a diversity within Bhangra which is great. I feel that Bhangra music is still prominent as we hear it more and more not just on Asian stations but when mixed within different genres we are hearing it everywhere. It’s certainly not dying out from my perspective its just taking on different forms to reach a wider audience.
Is there anyone in particular you would like to collaborate with? Any future surprises – perhaps Bhangra meets Rock?!
It is early stages yet. At the moment I am concentrating on my debut album which is really about establishing myself within the Bhangra industry. But in my next album I do want to collaborate with other artist from not just the Bhangra genre but from other genres too. In particular I would personally like to collaborate with an R&B artist like Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo is fantastic.
You have had instantaneous appeal, and already have a strong fan base, many of which are girls! What is it like performing live? Where was your most notable performance?
Thanks for the compliment. Most have been very welcoming to me and I really appreciate the love and support that has been shown to me. I have been very fortunate in having a great fan base that really support me from taking time out to watch me perform to taking time out to message me, it been truly overwhelming .
Performing live is a feeling that I really cannot describe. All I can say is that the adrenalin and passion that I get from the crowd really pumps me up during live performances and I love that energy. It’s amazing.
My most notable performance will have to be at the Kaka tribute gig in Birmingham. The crowd were fantastic as they really appreciated my performance which I did with my live band. The circumstances of the actual gig were extremely unfortunate though. Kaka was a great loss to the industry as he was just on the verge of showcasing his real star quality. It was a real loss that affected me dearly.
Is it your aim to bring Bhangra back into the mainstream music market?
It depends what you mean in your question. If you mean by bringing Bhangra back to the western mainstream then yes. I would love to collaborate with a mainstream artist and mix it in with some Indian flavours to make it cool again to listen to Bhangra. But to be fair Bhangra is doing great in terms of its popularity in mainstream music with the likes of Jay Z, Twister and now Pussycat Dolls incorporating Bhangra flavours in their tracks which is fantastic for the industry.
You now offer vocal training to younger people, what is the most valuable advice you give them?
Yes I do. All I can advice my students is to work hard, stay motivated and to follow your dreams and believe in yourself. That was the advice that was given to me by my farther and that is the advice that I give to my students too.
Tell us about your latest track theke- wali...
Theke Wali is a Bhangra dance floor track that was produced by Aman Hayer. The track itself was actually produced 1 year ago!
From the beats to the lyrics which were delivered by Santork - the song is exceptional and it has received a fantastic response which has been amazing. It’s defiantly a different spin from your typical boy meets girls love story which is what makes the track so unique
 Your debut album will be out this year, what can we expect from it?
Yes my debut album is out in the summer which I am really excited about as it an album which I am really confident about. It’s a versatile album which has a mixture of Bhangra, Hindi to classical genres, which will hopefully not only give my fans the opportunity to listen to my vocal versatility but to listen to a cross section of music that they may not have listened to before.
Are there any tracks in particular that you enjoyed making? Any that have sentimental value?
It will have to be Tera Mera. It holds a sentimental value to me.
What can we expect from Jaz Dhami in the near future?
A lot. I am just beginning my career so I have a long journey ahead of me. You will defiantly see some collaborations coming out in the not to distant future as well as some production work from me to. You will also see the opening of a School Of Music under my name which will give the opportunity for youngsters to learn traditional music. On top of this you will be seeing me continuing my work with The FA in helping to lift the profile of Asians in the game and encouraging youngsters from the community to Get into Football.
Keep watching B4U Music to catch the latest Jaz Dhami music videos!
For further information on Jaz Dhami visit: http://www.myspace.com/jazdhami |
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