In this episode of The Raj Kaul Podcast, host Raj Kaul sits down with UK Bhangra pioneer Silinder Pardesi. From his upbringing in Handsworth to his career as a design development engineer at GEC, Silinder details the rise of the Pardesi Music Machine, introducing sampling technology to the genre, performing at Glastonbury and alongside Luciano Pavarotti, and transitioning into a versatile solo and Bollywood career. Key Topics Covered:Early Foundations: Growing up in Handsworth, vocal inspiration from Mohammed Rafi, and early harmonium and tabla training. Engineering & Music: Balancing a full-time design development engineering role at GEC with international touring and recording. The Pardesi Sound: Winning the Asian Song Contest, the Korg M1 and Roland MC-300 sampling workflow, and releasing Pump Up The Bhangra. Mainstream Milestones: Performing at Glastonbury, appearing on Blue Peter, and high-street fashion endorsements. Solo Transition: Collaborating with Rishi Rich and Neeru Bajwa on Hey Soniye, and recording the Bollywood Seduction series. Craft & Excellence: The impact of industry piracy, preserving authentic live musicianship, and advice for the next generation of UK artists. Guest Links:Official Website: pardesi.co.uk
In this special edition recorded live at Walsall Football Club, Raj Kaul hosts a tribute to UK Bhangra pioneer Dalbir Bhujangy. Featuring raw, behind-the-scenes conversations with Shin DCS, Steven Sahota, Balwinder Bhatti, Satpal (Anjaana), Milan, Manny Ramta, and Gurcharan Bhujangy. We explore the 1960s foundry-era grit, live performance purity over auto-tune, and 60 years of UK Punjabi music heritage. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction & Dalbir Bhujangy Tribute00:21 - Manny Ramta: Raw Heritage & Classic Hits00:04:55 - Milan: UK Folk & Old-School Synthesizers00:10:13 - Roop Samrai & Bugga (Roshney Group)00:20:22 - Desi Divas: Ladies Sangeet Tradition00:25:00 - Balwinder Bhatti: Pub Gigs & 80s Inspiration00:30:08 - Shin DCS: Smethwick Roots & The DCS Sound00:37:53 - Steven Sahota: Regulating Folk Time Signatures00:46:08 - Satpal (Anjaana Group): "Nachna Piya" & Heritage00:50:57 - Nash & Sukh Aujla (Sanjhi Seva Charity)00:53:33 - Gurcharan Bhujangy: Inside the Bhujangy Legacy
Get the Book: Organizing Your Creative Career (2020 Revised Edition) In this episode of the Raj Kaul Podcast, I’m joined by the legendary Sheila Chandra, a true pioneer who bridged the gap between East and West long before "World Music" was even a category. We dive deep into her meteoric rise at just 16 years old with the band Monsoon and their global smash hit "Ever So Lonely". Sheila shares the fascinating story of how she was discovered via a demo tape left in a cardboard box , the grit it took to perform on Top of the Pops while recovering from an appendix operation , and her bold decision to walk away from major labels to protect her creative independence. 🎤 The "Self-Taught" Journey: Discover how she spent a five-year sabbatical "absorbing" the complexities of Indian Classical music by listening to records and tapes like a sponge. 🚫 Breaking Boundaries: The "upstart" reputation and pushback she faced from traditionalists for her revolutionary, non-mathematical vocal style. 🧝 Middle-earth Magic: The behind-the-scenes story of being hand-picked by Howard Shore to sing in Elvish for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. 📚 A New Voice: Her transition from world-class singer to author and mentor after health challenges forced her to retire from performing in 2010. 🌟 Musical Excellence: A profound look at what it truly means to find presence and transcendence in a single, unadorned note. Connect with Sheila:Website: www.sheilachandra.com
In the fourth and final installment of this series, Peter Ware returns to answer burning questions from the community and share a side of his life that many of his musical collaborators have never seen. We pick up the timeline in 2015, as Pete reflects on a devastating period of tinnitus and hyperacusis that nearly ended his professional life. He shares the raw reality of falling into a deep depression and the mental shift required to move from "suffering" to "living" with the condition.Pete also discusses his surprising "sideline" in robotics and television, including his time on the rebooted Robot Wars with his family and his work behind the scenes on Britain’s Got Talent. Finally, Pete dives into a community Q&A, tackling everything from why 90s Bhangra still resonates today to his honest, technical take on the "paper thin" nature of AI in the music industry.If you are interested in the specialized earplugs discussed in this episode to protect your hearing, you can find them here: https://amzn.to/4mvEQsw.The Silent Struggle: Pete describes the "industrial hearing risk" of the studio and how stress-induced tinnitus led to a "tailspin" into depression.The Puzzle House & Barnsley: Tracking Pete’s moves from the "Puzzle House" to his current basement studio in Barnsley, where he continues to work with legends like Herbie Sahota and Ranbir Daskai.Robo-Engineering: How a family hobby led to three series of Robot Wars and a career in corporate robot entertainment and television engineering.The 90s Sound: Pete explains why the 90s era remains classic, citing the "telepathic connection" of a good song over simple loop-based grooves.The AI Verdict: Pete shares why he finds AI music "technically rubbish" and unreliable for professional-grade stems, despite its usefulness as a tool for generating new ideas.
In this special episode of The Raj Kaul Podcast, the tables are turned as host Raj Kaul is interviewed by his wife, Ruby. This is Part 1 of an honest deep dive into the early years, the local legends of the West Midlands, and the hidden influences that shaped a #1 artist.Inside the Episode:The Geography of a Journey: While deeply connected to the "Aston Massive" through family roots, Raj clarifies his upbringing in Lozells and his pivotal move to Handsworth around age 11.The Saturday Ritual: A look back at Hi-Fi in Handsworth, the legendary hub where Raj and his cousins would hunt for the latest Bollywood and Bhangra cassettes.The Ghostwriter Connection: Raj reveals the massive influence of his Massi (maternal aunt), a talented ghostwriter for major bands who co-wrote hits like "JD Varga".Writing a Hit on a Bus: The raw story of composing the career-defining hit "Tere Na Te Glassy" on a notepad while sitting on a bus at just 18 years old.The Gospel Era: Before the Bhangra charts, Raj spent five years pioneering a unique Punjabi Gospel sound, leading a live band through festivals like Handsworth Park.Live Music vs. "Train Tracks": Why performing with a live band offers a freedom that backing tracks—which Raj describes as being "stuck on rails"—can never match.Industry Revolution: Fed up with the "dead ends" of traditional playlisting, Raj announces his new UK Punjabi Top 50 and Punjabi Top 50 playlists to give independent artists a real platform.Join the Movement:If you’re an artist fed up with struggling to get playlisted on Spotify or the radio, search for Raj Kaul on Spotify or message him on Instagram to get your tracks on these new community-driven playlists.Subscribe and stay tuned for Part 2!