I hate to brag, but I got my first BMW 15 years ago! It was compact, but with brilliant colors, and I absolutely adored it. No one could tear me apart from my BMW. When I had my BMW, I felt invincible and in a world that no one could enter. You could say, it was love at first sight and nothing could tear us until one day tragedy struck…

Yes, I am a Hindi remix fanatic and my BMW was of course Bad, Mad, and Wicked by Toronto’s DJ Jiten. Come to think of it, it wasn’t a very good looking tape cover, and you can absolutely forget about getting it on CD. . It was 60 minutes of music that no one outside of North America knew about. In a way, it was two tapes that were forcibly crammed into one silly looking plastic box. It introduced to me new American music over familiar Bollywood and Punjabi dance songs, and it has become a part of me in a way I never imagined Bollywood music ever could.

There is no doubt that the US market for South Asian dance music is behind Canada and he United Kingdom. While these countries release an average of 30 to 50 original albums every month, our best efforts seem to be fifteen hip-hop different remixes of the latest Bollywood song along with the obligatory bhangra track. At any given moment, there are 5 to 10 remix albums out there, almost all identical in their song selection and varied slightly by whatever popular American song is added to the tracks. To paraphrase Bally Sagoo, we are a nation of "Xerox machines" with almost no inclination towards the finer points of music production such as original vocals or beat matching.

The ratio for original to remix music does not even exist since so few original albums actually are produced in the U.S. There are various reasons for this. Currently, there are no South Asian record labels in the United States. Obviously, by record label, I mean an entity with a national distribution infrastructure as well as significant market share. In addition, by record label, I mean an organization that focuses on original music and artists from the United States. This distinction is necessary since there are several Indian music labels established here, however they only distribute music of their respective companies from India. In fact, the labels are run from India, and seem to have no independent decision making ability. Underscoring this fact is that no original music has been released by the companies. And there in lies the irony: in order an original US artist to be signed by these companies, the decision has to come from India. Thus, the artist is judged by Indian music standards rather than US or other genre standards.

Another obstacle is the lack of original music or television programming; almost all the radio and TV programs focus on Bollywood entertainment. The main reason for this is that the programs are run by first generation South Asians who have little or no knowledge of current mainstream music. More realistically, these program directors have little or no interest since US South Asian music contains elements of US genres such as trance, house and/or hip hop. If is not "Bollywood music" per se, it is not accepted or promoted.

Remixes have flourished and become an accepted art form mainly for three reasons. For one, remixes don’t require any rights. Secondly, anyone with a computer can basically produce, publish and market their work on the web, or burn a few cds or find a cd replicator who "forgets" to ask for the clearance paperwork. Thirdly, most desi kids do not speak hindi or listen to Indian music. A hindi or bhangra remix with hip hop is the only time that a second generation desi kid will bother to pay attention to the music. This rampant use of hip hop and house samples allows these albums to be played at all South Asian parties. Since there is no other infrastructure, music played at these parties becomes the main influence for music buyers.

It is this ease that has made remixes flourish and a staple in all Indian music stores. . Whether it was created as a fluke of the imagination or a serious intent to create a sound, remixing is the official starting point for today’s DJs within the Desi community. With numerous DJ’s currently on the party circuit, promoting ones self on a remix CD helps build word of mouth while perpetuating this genre.

So how does a remix cd get around the US and Canada while an original album can, at best, hope for several hundred copies to be sold in its native city? An additional problem is that most small cd replicators do no make below a 1000 cds and a majority of them will only accept 2000 cd orders. So how does an up and coming remixer move those kinds of units? Although the answer is simple, it is not an easy plan to execute. There are nine major markets in North America: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Texas, Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. Theoretically, one should sell 100 to 200 units per city in order to move a 1000 or a 2000 cd unit order accordingly.

I emphasize theoretically because there are always several factors at work when a new remix is put out. The number one reason is: copyright infringement. While record companies have been slow to prosecute Djs for remixes, there is growing anecdotal evidence that the RIAA is considering pursuing legal recourse. This fear alone dissuades most stores from carrying the product. The sad part in all this is that remixes are NOT the problem. The larger issue is piracy i.e. counterfeiting of original product.

The second reason is subjective. Actually, let me rephrases, its HIGHLY subjective. Musical tastes differ in each of the coasts. While the east coast and Toronto favor more reggae and hip hop flavored tracks, the west coast is more into trance and house mixes. Vancouver and San Francisco are more traditional in that they favor bhangra remixes over Hindi remixes, and even the bhangra has to have more dhol than hip hop/house. The list goes on and on, but these are the broad differences in the markets.

While there are several original artists coming out, they are not going to see the same success and exposure as a remix album until there is a proper method of distribution and promotion set up in North America. I also do not see remixes going away any time soon, simply because of its popularity and ease of promotion and distribution.

There are some, I am sure, who curse Jiten every time they hear a remix. And then there are others, like me, who just can’t wait for the next remix. . .

Thanks, Jiten!

Comments (1) >>

fazal said:

Sup Jiten, I have been listening to your music since BMW 3. I used to live in Toronto, where you supplied your tapes to Desi stores. You proper know me if you see me. Fuck it you still got the Baddest Desi music. Get shooting this e-mail just to let you, keep turning those turntables and well be listing. PS. Its good to hear some Indian music to the best. Peace.

December 06, 2006 | url

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