‘The Asian Collection’ – Nihal sets the groove…

August 3 2015

Top BBC DJ/presenter brings together select musical tracks to represent Asian sounds with western influences…

IT’S MUMBAI, or Bombay, as any old romantic would call it.

There’s something redeeming about the late afternoon, as the sun begins its majestic descent over the Arabian Sea and a generous breeze wafts through the high rise apartment.

It offers the most brilliant view out across Marine Drive and the almost emerald sea glistens tantalisingly far below, like a dangerous invitation.

All the windows have been thrown asunder, as though we must abandon ourselves to whatever natural force beckons – nothing as artificial as air conditioning here, only the subcontinent as it should be, raw, unforgiving, utterly compelling.

Below is the usual cacophony, of horns and mostly superficial slights, but it barely registers because in our immediate space, almost punching the air, and forming a sort of bullying punctuation to our conversation is the music on the CD player.

At moments, all we want to do is to listen, to learn, to submit, to dance. And yet we both have work to be doing.

“This is unusual,” says Nihal Arthanayake, better known to most as just plain old Nihal.

Nihal in the Sony Music offices

The DJ extraordinaire, most famous these days for his hugely popular flagship BBC Asian Network morning call-in-show, is seated at one end of sofa and is referring to our usual pleasantries at the Asian Business Awards or the GG2 Leadership Awards, where he is the compere and this writer is just part of the annual furniture.

But this time we’re talking about something.

Nihal is telling www.asianculturevulture.com about his just released (July 31) “The Asian Collection”, a 54-track 3 CD special, designed to present the best of Asian sounds with something of a western twist.

And no sadly, we are not in Bombay, we are in the Sony Music (the label) offices in West London.

And while it’s pleasantly warm outside, it’s artificially cool inside an office-like cubicle with a couple of PRs, head-in-their laptops, for extra company.

The “Asian Collection” is not playing in the background, as it is now when writing this and listening back to our taped conversation – but it sets off a trail of sensations (you got that) and widens the imagination.

It’s what good music does to your soul.

For as long as he can probably care to remember that’s what Nihal’s been doing, finding music that will stir us, lift us from our torpor or indifference to energy and animation – bringing it to a wider audience as possible, and maybe getting those feet to do more than just walking…
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Nihal told us how this three year journey, a labour of love in many ways, began.

“Sony approached me I was just getting on with my life and doing what I do…” he confessed.

His natural enthusiasm was tempered; he wanted to do this ‘properly’ – Sony has a track record of doing effective compilations and assured him it would conform to the same high standards.

There was a mutual sense of wanting to deliver and produce something that would make a statement.

“I don’t think there’s been anything like this (a compilation of Asian themed/inspired music). About 10 years ago, there was a slew of compilations but I think they were far too two-dimensional and I’m including mine with Bobby (of Bobby & Nihal fame, when the two DJs were a double act and scaled the heights to be the first Asian DJs on the country’s biggest music radio station, Radio 1).

“I think this is far superior.”

It’s taken three years for him from start to finish, much of the time was swallowed by finding out who owned the tracks and dealing with rights from Indian and British Asian music labels.

To get started, he delved back into his collection, remembering the great and the good.

“I went through my i-tunes library and my i-tunes library is split into genres, so you look at the Bollywood tracks, you look at the Bhangra songs and you say…what are the standout songs?”

A narrowing process occurred a bit like an ocean that must flow into a tributary.

He described: “You are going through the genres. Here’s my bhangra list, here’s my Bollywood list, here’s my Urban list, here’s my RnB list, here’s my chill list and then you start merging it into one space and then another, and then depending on the tempo and energy – you come up with what I think is the greatest Asian compilation ever made.”

In guiding his selection, he looked further than just his own favourites and thought ‘what are the big tracks, what are the songs that people know and respond to in numbers’.

“Yes, it’s about accessibility but not in a tacky way – through the songs. Some of the tracks are just big tunes. Take ‘Desi Girl’ -(by Vishal and Shekhar and from the hit film, ‘Dostana’) – everyone knows it, everyone loves that song, you put that on at a wedding and everybody goes mad – would I rate that as one of my 100 songs of all time, probably not, but I understand it.

“Similarly with ‘Jai Ho’ (AR Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls, featuring Nicole Scherzinger) – do I put that on every morning when I jog or cycle round the park – no, I don’t, but I do get that it is just a fantastic pop song.”

Among his own faves on “The Asian Collection” are “Gun Gun Guna” by Ajay-Atul, Udit Narayan & Sunidhi Chauhan; Juggy D’s “Akheer”; Outlandish’s “Aicha” and Niraj Chag’s “Khwaab”.

“These tracks are just extraordinary ‘Khwaab’ is one of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear in your life. It’s in Bengali, ‘do I speak a word of Bengali?’ Of course not. It’s just stunningly beautiful.

“Nitin Sawhney’s ‘Homelands’ has always been one of my favourite Sawhney tracks. Pritam’s ‘Tu Hi Mera’ and AR Rahman’s ‘Tera Bina’ too.”

Many of the artists on the collection will be familiar to anyone who has listened to British Asian/Indian music fairly regularly over the years, but to those who follow the charts or popular western music only, it will be something of an education, if they can be persuaded to listen.

Few of the artists have crossed over into the western mainstream – and stayed there – with the exception of Jay Sean (who emigrated to the US to do it) and AR Rahman in a slightly different context. Some of the India-based artists don’t need to register here. They’re quite big enough in India, thank you.

We’ll be seeing more of Nihal on the TV next year as he’s signed up to BBC Sport’s coverage of the Olympics in Rio. He’s also working on a non-fiction book which is awaiting a green light from publishers but he won’t be leaving that hot seat at the BBC Asian network in the mornings quite yet and his passion for more news-orientated debate shows is undiminished. 'I love that show, I love the audience. It’s not often that you leave a Radio 1 DJ spot and in less than a year be interviewing Nick Clegg (former deputy prime minister) and Ed Miliband (former leader of the Labour Party).'

It’s obvious to anyone looking at this space that there’s an absence of singer-songwriters who are Asian and do well in the UK mainstream charts.

Nihal talked of Naughty Boy (Shahid Khan), whose chart-topping success though has very little to do with his Pakistani heritage or musical culture.

Where are the artists breaking through? Why are British Asian musicians who mix subcontinental sounds with western influences not much in the charts…?

“British Asian music is in the same place it’s been in a long time – nowhere,” declared Nihal, when asked.

“In terms of self-creating artists, someone like Arjun, Raxstar, Zack Knight – who do this full time and independently, you didn’t have that 10 years ago.

“Someone like Arjun his Youtube numbers and Facebook likes, it’s pretty amazing but he’s not in the mainstream – not yet, not yet.”

He said the lack of a live scene and the industry being more about those helping to get the music out there, rather than those making it has not helped.

“There are not enough venues to go and see it. For too long it’s been producer-focused as opposed to artist-focused and I think it’s far too male orientated.

“Where is the Emeli Sandé, Adele, Amy Winehouse of the Asian scene? I think the cultural issues are the problem, the talent is there.”

Too many potential women singer-song writers, he believed, come under pressure from their families.

“They don’t want their daughters living that lifestyle – out in the clubs all the time, dancing and being in videos – you can’t imagine too many Asian girls wanting to act like Rihanna or they simply would not be allowed to. They would bring shame on the family – ‘who is going to marry you?’ There are those attitudes still out there – but there are those who are changing it,” he recognised, though not probably quick enough.

He cited Sonna Rela, who is now based in the US and signed for the top selling artist/producer Ne-Yo in 2013, but while she had a track on the recent Disney film, “Cinderella”, and her social media numbers remain strong, she hasn’t moved on massively since her path-breaking deal. To be charitable, an album must still be in the making.

“We’ve been waiting forever,” jested Nihal. “We’re still waiting.”

Nihal’s pleased with “The Asian Collection” and the immediate reaction, he said, has been positive and encouraging. There are good early and pre-order numbers on the digital charts and there is mainstream media interest and a TV marketing campaign.

“I am going to be on ‘The Wright Stuff’ on Channel 5 and I’ll be on BBC Radio 2 with Dermot O’Leary and we’ll be playing tracks from the album,” Nihal revealed.

“I think it’s aimed at anyone who loves Asian music or is open-minded to other musical genres. I want three generations of the same family to listen.

“It’s never been done on this scale before, this is massive. It’s the first time Asda is going to be selling CDs on the World Food aisle. Here’s the soundtrack that you cook this food to…”

He’s already thinking about “The Asian Collection II”, but added an important proviso.

“Let’s see if this sells. I am ambitious, you do think about it, but it is not up to me, Sony has to measure it and see whether it’s a success or not.”

Sailesh Ram, editor www.asianculturevulture.com

TO WIN A SIGNED NIHAL COPY OF THE THE 3CD ALBUM
YOU CAN WIN a signed copy of ‘The Asian Collection’ by entering our competition and prize draw. Tell us just ONE of Nihal’s favourite tracks from this album, quoting from our article. Email editor@asianculturevulture.com from a regular email, putting Nihal in the subject line and include a name and contact telephone number and we will need a postal address to dispatch the 3CD compilation. The deadline will be 11.59pm, Sunday, August 9. We expect to inform the winners only the following week. We have TWO sets as prizes, one for each winner.
If you want more than one entry in the draw, like us on Facebook or Retweet the article and we will include up to 3 entries under your name. Alternatively, if you’re already connected, comment on the Nihal article post on our FB page. Remember you only need to send ONE EMAIL though, just telling us how you have shared it on social media to get a second or thrid entry into the draw. Normal terms and conditions apply. You must be 18 and resident in the UK. Good Luck!

To buy online digital version i-tunes (includes Nihal mix) £9.99 http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-asian-collection/id1016517090

Order CD from Amazon (UK): hhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010NA6DYI?ie=UTF8&tag=sonymusiccommercial-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B010NA6DYI

Pictures: Top portrait and bottom portrait – Swani Gulshan