Rhythm Dhol Bass To Release Single With T-Pain

RDB with Nindy Kaur

When we meet Surj Singh, of UK’s popular bhangra collective, Rhythm Dhol Bass [RDB], he seems ready to break into a rap battle. He walks into the coffee shop of a star hotel in suburban Mumbai in super baggy jeans, a fitted tee and a beanie for a turban. In the city, fresh after an RDB concert in Pakistan, Singh says, “Our show in Lahore was amazing. We want to do a lot more there. Even though our music has never been officially released in Pakistan, everyone has heard it!” he adds, as he fidgets with his iPad.

Soon, Singh’s brother Manj and his wife Nindy Kaur, both part of RDB, join our chat from London via Skype. Recently, the trio performed their first big concert since key RDB member and eldest brother, Kuly, passed away in May, after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Says Manj, “The day of Kuly’s funeral, we were in the studio making the “Yaadan” track, in his memory. The studio was his life and it is ours.”

Their group, however, still remains a family enterprise. Kaur, who previously performed with RDB as a guest vocalist, has joined them full time. “It’s always going to be a family enterprise. I don’t think I could do without these guys,” says Kaur, who has featured on hits like “Yamla Pagla Dewana” and “Aaloo Chat”. As an independent artist, she’s currently working on her album, Nindypendent, which she plans to release early November. As a run-up to the album, she’ll soon release her singles “BBM”, an ode to her BlackBerry and “Desi Queen”, the video for which she plans to shoot in India. “In an album, songs can get buried. Releasing singles ensures that the individual track gets full attention by the listener,” she feels.

While Surj is currently in India meeting Bollywood producers and directors, Nindy and Surj are back into their studio, mixing new sounds for their upcoming album Worldwide. Having collaborated with international artists like Ludacris and Snoop Dogg previously, the newest artist they’ve chosen for a crossover-collaboration is the American rapper, T-Pain. They are also in talks with David Guetta. “T-Pain said we are the coolest looking Indian guys he’s seen. We are really excited about it. It’s the first big project we are doing outside Bollywood”” an independent RDB song with an international artist. Such collaborations help bring different cultures and genres of music together,” adds Surj. Titled “Daddy Da Cash”, the song is characteristically RDB. “The song talks about what RDB does best, which is party up. It’s a complete party anthem, made for the clubs. It’s made for people to enjoy and just spend money and kinda have a good time,” says Surj.  “It’s about youngsters taking advantage of their parents’ money,” laughs Nindy. 

For a band that managed to make Snoop Dogg wear a turban in the film Singh Is Kinng, did they convince T-Pain to rap in Punjabi this time? “No, but we are shooting the video soon and we’ll make him do some Bollywood dance,” says Manj. He adds that the song was Kuly’s idea. “This is his track. The whole idea, concept and melody was Kuly’s, we have just improvised it. T-Pain helps give it an international sound.”