The New Gabru

“I then joined Surjit Singh Olk’s Tru Skool in Derby,and trained under him for ten years,” he says. The lessons paid off when Jatinder’s first album Gabru Punjab Da met with huge success in the UK in 2010. The album won the ‘Best Album Award’ and Jatinder bagged the ‘Best Newcomer Award’ at Brit Asia Awards and ‘Best Newcomer Award’ at the UK AMA in the same year. Now,Jatinder has released this 11-track album in India with Indya Records.

True to the Punjabi tadka,the album has all genres packed in one — romantic,hip hop,bhangra,wedding numbers and folk hits. According to the 20-something singer,it brings out the versatility in him as an artist. The bling quotient apart — diamond studs,dazzling baseball cap,a gold wrist watch and sequined tee — Jatinder credits his traditional upbringing in a Punjabi household for keeping him connected to his roots. “I can speak fluent Punjabi,” he says with a smile,adding how his first performance as a singer was at a Gurdwara where he sang a shabad.

Back in Derby,Jatinder also runs his own group — JK and the Band — and plans to start the same in his second base,Ludhiana. With a growing tribe of bhangra hip hop British-Asian singers,Jatinder agrees that music as a profession is getting competitive. “It’s not easy to survive or sustain for long in this line. Many fizzle out as one-hit wonders,” he says. Gigs,weddings,concerts and “Punjabi fairs” keep him afloat. To stand out in the crowd,Jatinder now wants to channelise his skills in acting and hopes to produce a “concept-based” album. “Maybe a musical film that can form the base of the album too,” he concludes.