The Raghu Dixit Projects Wins Best Alternative Act Award At The UK Asian Music Awards

Dixit with Simon Ratcliffe (left) and Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx

It’s been a winning year for the folk rock project from Bengaluru. Dixit kicked off the year with an invitation to perform at Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London in May that in turn led to a collaboration with UK’s electronica superstars, Basement Jaxx. This was followed by TRDP’s second innings in the UK with festival appearances including one at the celebrated Southbank Alchemy festival and the Bushstock festival in London. Dixit also snagged a spot on influential BBC One presenter Andrew Marr’s show. In September, TRDP set off on a tour in the US playing at venues such as Neumos in Seattle that has hosted performances by some of the best international artists including The Shins, The Raconteurs, Vampire Weekend and Adele.

This week, TRDP won the Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards, adding to its growing list of accolades. The band’s bassist Gaurav Vaz said over an email that it was an honor to win this award considering the nominees that they were up against. TRDP was nominated alongside artists such as Nitin Sawhney, who has previously won the title in 2009, Pakistan-born Brit singer Rumer, who also won the title in 2011, Asian Dub Foundation and London-based composer and singer Niraj Chag. UK-based artists such as Natasha Khan better known as Bat For Lashes have also previously won the Best Alternative Act award at The UKAMAs.

Gaurav Vaz, bassist, TRDP

While Vaz said that it was too early to predict whether this win would lead to more festival slots in the UK, he said that performing and working in the country has definitely shaped their music. Added Vaz, “The songs from our next album have a horn section by [the Bristish band] Bellowhead. We have a very Irish Folk influence on a song from the album, so the UK has crept into a lot of the music we have made over the last couple of years. We have written and arranged a lot of the music while on tour [in UK] as well.”