Face off with Stereo Nation’s Taz

So what was he doing back in India?
He was here on a tour to rap and pop a concoction of western beats and bhangra. But why on earth mix bhangra with angrezi music? Well, just when you are hoping that he won’t tell you this is a part of the going-back-to-one’s-roots — he trots out the standard explanation.

So much for an original answer. Do we turn up our noses?
Not yet, there is another reason for choosing bhangra. "Bhangra fuses rhythmically and vibrantly with Western music. Its appeal is the energy — the rhythms are so strong that you can’t help but move and groove," he says.

But isn’t the listener more likely to just sit and scratch his head at the profuse cacaphony of instruments?
"In our tracks you may hear a hip hop beat, the baseline may be reggae and then you might hear a bit of tabla, dholak or sitar. Anything goes — that’s Stereo Nation."

Stereo Nation?
Now that is a nice name for a band, which consists of him and partner Kendell. "Mono plus mono equals stereo. And nation is wherever we are… the name is also marketable." Sure is. Know what, they have another name for the band — Mad and Insane. "Kendell is mad and I am insane."

And how did this crazy group come together?
"I woke up Kendell at two in the morning and dragged him to the studio. We experimented a bit in the early hours and the chemistry was just right." The case rests, at least about the mad and insane bit. n So, is working together tough?

No, there is a strong feeling of brotherhood between the two. "I hate his guts and he hates mine." Luckily for them, teeny-boppers appear to love them. In fact, the record company wanted to promote them as a boy band. "But we are not playing on our sex appeal. We don’t have that 10, 20 packs of muscles. We are just we."

And what makes this we tick?
"The vibe. If the vibe is right we will create. If not, we just chuck it away. The fusion is natural, not tokenistic in any shape or form." Well, the fusion was indeed right with their number `I’ve been waiting’, which reached No 7 on an UK chart. In fact, it should have been called `Bollywood’s been waiting’. So `inspiring’ was the track that in no time, dear Nadeem-Shravan came out with a desi version of it — `Hai Ajnabi’. Of course, without bothering to ask Taz or Kendell.

And what was Taz’s reaction when he heard about it?
"What the hell is going on!" Interesting, eh? But surely the duplicate must have helped make the original more popular? "Well, it created this hype and hysteria so in a way we are grateful." And they have more reason to be grateful the imitation was pretty good. "Some of the copies are damn tacky. They could have done a lot worse with our track," says Kendell.

But are they that forgiving when it comes to plagiarism?
No, Taz and Kendell have got a message for everyone in Bollywood — "Be decent. You want to use our tunes? Ask us, pay us!" Take a bow, Stereo Nation. That’s a helluva message.

But why do we have this feeling that Bollywood is going to turn a collective deaf ear to their demands?
"At the end of the day it is the artist that gets ripped off. And the public because they are not getting the genuine stuff," insists Taz.

Does he mean to say his outr, fusion is the genuine stuff?
Certainly the originators of bhangra must be turning in their graves. No, just like any other music form, bhangra too must evolve. "We have a stereotyped image of a bhangra artist — white juttis, shiny clothes. I appreciate the traditional form. But bhangra has to move on."

So, do we get to see bhangra in bikinis and bermudas?
Quite possible. "In Stereo Nation, the only dress code is stuff you can dance in." But Taz is also looking at one more form of liberation in bhangra — the inclusion of female singers. "Bhangra is male-dominated and sexist. Female artists get slagged off as tarts if they want to be singers."

Did it help their sales that Indian music has got a high curiosity value?
No, an Indian still has to struggle against indirect racism. "When the Beatles used Ravi Shankar in their song, it was automatically accepted because they were white. Everybody sat up and said,`This is cool’. But when was the last time you saw Shankar on the Top 40 charts?"

Errrr…never! Does this mean Taz has taken up cudgels on behalf of non-whites?
"We are promoting integration and non-agression. Our message is to party and have fun. Life is too short to hold grudges or talk nonsense." Well, Taz does need to worry about life being too short. Doesn’t he kick the bucket every 16 years?

And what is he most likely to say before he comes back for another spell on earth?
"The world is big enough for all artists."

And least likely to say?
"Preach!" Makes sense. After all, who would listen to a freak suffering from chronic-age deficiency?