Long one of the most influential and innovative figures on the UK reggae scene, producer Adrian Sherwood and his famed On-U Sound label pioneered a distinctive fusion of dub, rock and dance which made waves not only in roots circles but also in the pop mainstream. Born in 1958, Sherwood first surfaced during the late '70s at the helm of a series... [+] Read More

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Alaap provides a practical demonstration of bhangra's progress. Founded in 1977 in Southall, their debut album, originally on their own label, focused on traditional Punjabi folk music. Under the influence of producer Deepak Khazanchi and the high energy of disco and rock, Alaap's music went electric and employed drum machines. Later albums took... [+] Read More

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Sonic explorers who recall a Mediterranean version of Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound gang, Almamegretta occupies a strange zone of its own. In its native Italy, the quartet is a major underground-alternative success celebrated for singing in Italian (actually Neapolitan) dialect and introducing dub/mix culture there. All but unknown elsewhere, its... [+] Read More

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Like Alaap, one of the old guard and one of bhangra's legends. Gurcharan Mali's percussion work is a trademark. ~ Ken Hunt, All Music Guide

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The son of Afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Femi Kuti spent years playing in his father's band before eventually rising to superstardom following his father's death in the late '90s. Since few artists can match his father's legacy of not only music but influence, Femi's relation as his son is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand,... [+] Read More

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One of the most talented and recognized producers and songwriters within the British electronic and fusion music scene, Nitin Sawhney is also a respected actor, writer, and scriptwriter. Conceiving daring theme combinations of electronica-style beats with gleaming pieces of Asian inspirations driven within the trip-hop and jazzy styles, Sawhney... [+] Read More

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Creator of an innovative fusion of Indian bhangra music and drum'n'bass electronica, Talvin Singh was classically trained on the tabla but rejected most of his learning when he founded the Anokha club-night at East London's Blue Note. Singh grew up in Leytonstone, and though he began playing tabla at the age of five, he also liked to breakdance... [+] Read More

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