Talvin Singh Matharoo (born 1970 in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England), is a
producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and
composerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and
tablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player, known for creating an innovative fusion of
Indian classical musicThe origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
and
drum and bassDrum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
. Singh is generally considered involved with an
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
sub genre called
Asian UndergroundAsian Underground is a term associated with various British Asian musicians who blend elements of western underground dance music and the traditional Asian music of their home countries in South Asia...
, and more recently as Indian and/or Asian electronica.
After collaborating with Siouxsie and the Banshees and
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
in the early 1990s, Singh released his debut album
OkOk is the debut release of tabla player and music producer Talvin Singh, and it was nine months in the making. The title was chosen because of the universality of the word OK, which can be understood almost anywhere in the world...
which received the
Mercury Music PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
in 1999.
Singh has since collaborated with a variety of acts including
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and
Massive AttackMassive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
.
Early life and career
Singh grew up in
LeytonstoneLeytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
and began playing the tablas as a child. At the age of 16, Singh went to India for two years where he studied
tablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
under Pandit Lashman Singh. He then returned to the UK after just one year. In spite of this classical training, Singh's tabla playing was not accepted by British promoters of
classical Indian musicA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
, as he incorporated too strongly his western influences. By the late 1980s, Singh had decided to turn towards the fusion of sounds. In 1991, he came to prominence by both playing tabla and singing on the "Kiss Them for Me" single by Siouxsie and the Banshees : the single peaked in the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 23. Singh then became the sixth member of the Banshees and took part with them as second headliners of the inaugural
LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour. Two years later in 1993, he was recruited by
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
to be her percussionist and director on her 1993's
Debut album.
In late 1995, Singh founded the Anokha club night with promoter
Sweety KapoorSweety Kapoor was one of the people behind the legendary Anokha music night, hosted by Mercury Music Prize-winning artist Talvin Singh, that gave rise to what became known as 'The Asian Underground' movement, at London's Blue Note venue....
at East London's Blue Note, where drum'n'bass DJs and South Asian punk bands went head to head with the amped-up sounds of his tabla and percussion. Guest spots by LTJ Bukem and others made Anokha a Monday-night hotspot in London, and Singh signed to Island for an Anokha compilation including several of his own productions. He worked as a remixer, for
BlondieBlondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
on their "Maria" single".
In 1998, Singh released his solo debut album,
OkOk is the debut release of tabla player and music producer Talvin Singh, and it was nine months in the making. The title was chosen because of the universality of the word OK, which can be understood almost anywhere in the world...
. The record was critically acclaimed and received the prestigious
Mercury Music PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
in 1999. That same year, he also collaborated with
David SylvianDavid Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
. In 2000, he worked with
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
for her album,
Music.
In 2001,
Massive AttackMassive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
collaborated with Singh on his
Back to Mine album : Massive Attack remixed the track "Mustt Mustt".
Style and influences
Singh is an accomplished Tabla player, electronic musician, music theorist, record producer and DJ. As a solo artist, he is perhaps best known as the father of modern Asian electronica music, though he is also a highly celebrated tabla player, record producer and visual practitioner.
Drawing inspiration from the classical Indian arts, Singh first came to prominence as a tabla percussionist in the 1980s London music scene. Whilst still in his mid-teens, Singh traveled to India to earn pupillage from Acharya Pandit Laxman Singh, master tabla maestro of the Punjab school. This period made an indelible mark on the young artist and he has since continued to practice and perform the art form internationally. Singh’s collaborations with Indian classical musicians include Ustad Sultan Khan, Rakesh Churasia, Ustad Imrat Khan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan amongst scores of others.
Singh also became involved in experimental music collaborations beginning in the late 1980s, working with Sun Ra and Courtney, which helped to popularize the burgeoning Asian underground sub-culture movement.
Singh is notable for re-introducing the concepts of Indian classical music to western pop, dance and Jazz genres in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Singh’s solo album credits include critical and commercial successes Ok (1998)--which won the UK’s two most prestigious music prizes, ‘The South Bank Prize’ and the
Mercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
in 1999. Ok, his groundbreaking ’98 debut release, was recorded in Mumbai, Madras, Okinawa, New York and London, featuring contributions from
Bill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
,
Ryuichi SakamotoAfter working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
,
Ustad Sultan KhanUstad Sultan Khan was an Indian sarangi player and singer who performed Hindustani classical music. He was one of the members of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell...
and the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra amongst others.
Singh has pursued several artistic ventures parallel to and in conjunction with his music career, including creating the seminal London club ANOKHA, performing at the
Tate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
in London, creating a sound installation at the Frith Street Gallery in London and composing music for various experimental dance, theatre and film projects. In 1990 Singh conceived the Tablatronic, a hybrid electronic/analog tabla (drum) which utilizes a rare internal microphone system.
Awards
In
20102010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music...
, Talvin Singh won an award at the
UK Asian Music AwardsThe UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, is an award show that is held annually in the United Kingdom since 2002. It is presented by B4U Music since 2008...
(UK AMAs) for his "Commitment to Scene".
Albums
- Ok
Ok is the debut release of tabla player and music producer Talvin Singh, and it was nine months in the making. The title was chosen because of the universality of the word OK, which can be understood almost anywhere in the world...
(1998) Island
- Ha (2001) Island
- Drum + Space (as Calcutta Cyber Cafe) (2009) Chilly
Compilations
- Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground (1997) Island
- Back to Mine
Back to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play at home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub...
, Volume 8 (2001) DMC
Collaborations & original contributions
- Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Kiss Them for Me" (1991)
- Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Debut (1993)
- Abracatabla (1994) Sampling CD(time and Space)
- Little Axe - The Wolf That House Built (1994)
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Star rise (1997) Realworld.
- Bim Sherman - Miracle (1996)
- David Sylvian - Dead Bees On A Cake (1999)
- Madonna
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, "Cyber-Raga", MusicMusic is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
(2000).
- Master Musicians of Jajouka (2000)
- Randall & Hopkirk - Original soundtrack (2000) Island.
- Remixsingh Ok (2001) Island / Japan Import.
- Voxygen, a commission by English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
.
- Talvin Singh & Rakesh Chaurasia - Vira (2002) Navras.
- Tabla Beat Science - Tala Matrix (2002) Palm Pictures.
- Talvin Singh & Sangat - Songs for the inner world (2004) Live French Import.
- Talvin Singh feat. Amar-Jaan
- SMADJ - Selin (2009)
Remixes
- Blondie
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
- "Maria"Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in...
"
- Madonna
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- "Nothing Really Matters"Nothing Really Matters" is a pop-dance music song written by American singer Madonna and Patrick Leonard for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . The song was released as the final single from the album in the spring of 1999. It was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Marius De Vries and...
"
- Nagma
Nandita Morarji better known as Nagma . At her peak in the 1990s, The Hindu stated that she "dominated Telugu and Tamil cinema" with her movies Killer, Gharana Mogudu, Kadhalan, Baashha and many others...
- "Ghoom Charakhana"
- Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
- "Possibly Maybe"Possibly Maybe" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth single from her 1995 album Post. It is a song with deep electronic tones and soft beats that reflects on potential love....
"
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
- "Grief"
- John Martyn - "Sunshines Better"
- Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
- "Answer"
- Natacha Atlas
Natacha Atlas is a Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western electronic music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "cha'abi moderne" . Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and reggae.Atlas began her career as part of...
- "Duden"
- Asa-Chang & Junray
Asa Chang & Junray is the band of the Japanese percussionist Asa Chang, who was the founder and original bandmaster of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. After leaving that group in 1993, he formed Asa Chang & Junray in 1998 with programmer and guitarist Hidehiko Urayama. They were joined in 2000 by...
- "12 Bushi"
- Alisha's Attic
Alisha's Attic were an English duo of the 1990s and early 2000s. The two members were sisters Shelly McErlaine and Karen Poole, born in Barking and Chadwell Heath respectively. Their father is Brian Poole of 1960s group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes...
- "Air We Breathe"
- Najma Atish - "Ghoom Charakhana (Talvin Singh mix)"
- Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
and William S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
- "The Western Lands"
External links