Keeping Up With The Beat

In town for a gig and to release his latest album,Nai Reesan,Sidhu spoke about his 17-year-long musical journey,his songs in the upcoming Canadian film Speedy Singhs and the riots in London. “The riots were bad,but at the same time,during them, Sikhs and Muslims stood by each other,” says the singer who began singing at the age of 16. The passion turned into a profession when he started getting paid for it. “I was totally drawn to music by Jazzy B,Malkiat Singh,Surjit Bindrakhia,N Sync,Backstreet Boys,and it was their influence that got me into writing and composing my own music,” says Sidhu,who formed a band called B21 in the ’90s and released his first album at the age of 17. “It was called The Sound of B21 and was a hit. After this,we released another album,By Public Demand,” says Sidhu,who is now out with his seventh album,titled Nai Reesan,with Vanjhali Recordz and HS Aulakh.

A 13-track album,Nai Reesan bears a distinct mark of heavyweight producers,Rishie Rich and Aman Hyer,and has the typical Jassi-sound — contemporary British bhangra music with a desi touch. Already a hit on the iTunes album charts,the numbers in the album include Tor Punjaban Di,with uptempo beats,Naal Nachana that has a gypsy tune,Yaarian,featuring Nindy Kaur,the tumbi-twanging folk song,Amrit Varga Paani and the tongue-in-cheek number Oh Jatta.

A brand ambassador of UK bhangra music,for Sidhu,real music is something everyone can listen and dance to. It has a beat and a rhythm that retains the traditional soul and incorporates the modern spirit. “I prefer to use the sounds of traditional Punjabi instruments,like tumbi,waaja,dhol and so on,” he says. Another rule he sticks to is working with friends. “I keep changing the song till I am satisfied and very few people have the patience to tolerate this,” adds Sidhu.

His dream project is to collaborate and sing with Backstreet Boys,but before that Sidhu has made a bit of his own history by singing an English song,a cover version of Bruno Mars’s Grenade,for BBC. “I want to tell the world that sardars can sing in English too,” he says. Next-up are his songs in Akshay Kumar’s Canadian film Speedy Singhs,starring Rob Lowe and Russell Peter. “In the film,I sing Russell Peter’s wedding song,Veerji veyon chaliya,and the famous Punjabi wedding song Railgaddi,” says Sidhu,looking forward to more work and collaborations.