The New Glocal DJs

Net,many Indian DJs and their musical experiments,are increasingly courting international recognition.

“Till about three years ago,nobody took Indian DJs seriously. But with access to the internet,we began uploading our music and found that these were being received very well in the West. I started uploading my music sitting in the small town of Kalyani,located more than 100 km from Kolkata,” says Abhishek.

With electronic music becoming increasingly popular,even in small towns,Indian DJs are coming into their own. But most DJs are restricted to their own city,and their own club scene. However,a few have decided to shift base,often moving abroad. Abhishek is one such DJ,who shifted to Birmingham in the UK,coming back to India in 2007. “Shifting base helped because we got exposed to an international culture. We realised what kind of music the world loves,and it coincided with what audiences liked back home. In the UK,I found many desi DJs,but I was accorded a lot more respect,because I actually had a base in Indian music,” he says.

“Deejaying is not a hobby anymore. We aren’t sidelined as ‘sound guys’ — we are now referred to as what we really were — artistes,” says DJ Praveen Nair,regarded as one of the best Indian DJs,who is much in demand internationally.

Abhishek predicts there will be a space for Indian DJs in the world scene soon. “There are genres like Israeli trance,Moroccan beat and African beat. In the next few years,there will also be something called Indian Dance Music,” he predicts.