Talvin Singh OBE (born 1970) is a British musician, producer, and composer. A

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

player, he is known for creating an innovative fusion of

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...

with

drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...

. Singh is generally considered involved with an

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

subgenre called Asian Underground, and more recently as Indian and/or Asian electronica. After collaborating with

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...

and

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

in the early 1990s, Singh released his debut album '' Ok'' (1998), which received the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

in 1999.Finn, Gary
Mercury prize for Talvin Singh
''The Independent''. 8 September 1999 Singh has since collaborated with a variety of acts including

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

and

Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...

Early life and career

Singh grew up in

Leyton Leyton ( ) is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It borders Walthamstow to the north, Leytonstone to the east, and Stratford to the south, with Clapton, Hackney Wick and Homerton, across the Ri ...

Garratt, Shery
"You drum it, I'll Singh it"
''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

''. 25 March 2001. and began playing the tablas as a child. At the age of 15, Singh went to India where he studied

under Sangeet Acharya Ustad Lachman Singh Seen of Punjab Gharana, he stayed with his Guru till he passed away at 96 in 2022. In the beginning Singh's tabla playing was not accepted by British promoters of

classical Indian music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...

, as he incorporated too strongly his western influences. By the late 1980s, Singh had decided to turn towards the fusion of sounds. In 1991, he came to prominence by both playing tabla and singing on the " Kiss Them for Me" single by

: the single peaked in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 23. Singh then became the sixth member of the Banshees and took part with them as second headliners of the inaugural

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...

tour. Two years later in 1993, he was recruited by

to be her percussionist and director on her 1993 album, '' Debut''. In late 1995, Singh founded the Anokha club night with promoter Sweety Kapoor at East London's Blue Note, where drum'n'bass DJs and

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

punk bands went head to head with the amped-up sounds of his tabla and percussion. Producer and DJ State of Bengal (Sam Zaman) soon became the core of Anokha alongside Singh & Kapoor, and his sets alongside Singhs help to inspire a whole generation. Singh and Zaman would make fresh tracks, cutting them on Vinyl press hours before the Monday Anokha sessions where they would be showcased. Guest spots by LTJ Bukem and others made Anokha a Monday-night hotspot in London, and Singh signed to Island for an Anokha compilation including several of his own productions. He worked as a remixer, for Blondie on their "Maria" single". In 1998, Singh released his solo debut album, '' Ok''. The record was critically acclaimed and received the prestigious

in 1999. That same year, he also collaborated with

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...

. In 2000, he worked with

for her album, ''Music''.

Personal life

On 21 August 2011 he married Calcutta-born, now Bangalore-based Jasmeen Patheja in Gurdwara Jagat Sudhar on Rashbehari Avenue.

Style and influences

Singh is an accomplished tabla player, electronic musician, music theorist, record producer and DJ. As a solo artist, he is perhaps best known as the father of modern Asian electronica music, though he is also a highly celebrated tabla player, record producer and visual practitioner. Drawing inspiration from the classical Indian arts, Singh first came to prominence as a tabla percussionist in the 1980s London music scene. Whilst still in his mid-teens, Singh travelled to India to earn pupillage from Sangeet Acharya Ustad Lachman Singh Seen, master tabla maestro of the Punjab school. This period made an indelible mark on the young artist and he has since continued to practice and perform the art form internationally. Singh's collaborations with Indian classical musicians include Ustad Sultan Khan, Rakesh Churasia, Ustad Imrat Khan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan amongst scores of others. Singh also became involved in experimental music collaborations beginning in the late 1980s, working with Sun Ra and Courtney, which helped to popularise the burgeoning Asian underground sub-culture movement. Singh is notable for re-introducing the concepts of Indian classical music to western pop, dance and jazz genres in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Singh's solo album credits include critical and commercial successes Ok (1998)—which won the UK's two most prestigious music prizes, 'The South Bank Prize' and the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

in 1999. ''Ok'', his groundbreaking 1998 debut release, was recorded in Mumbai, Madras, Okinawa, New York and London, featuring contributions from

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, wo ...

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...

, Ustad Sultan Khan and the Madras Philharmonic Orchestra amongst others. Singh has pursued several artistic ventures parallel to and in conjunction with his music career, including creating the seminal London club ANOKHA, performing at the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

in London, creating a sound installation at the Frith Street Gallery in London and composing music for various experimental dance, theatre and film projects. In 1990 Singh conceived the Tablatronic, a hybrid electronic/analog tabla (drum) which uses a rare internal microphone system. However, in a 2017 interview, he said he "did not do fusion music" and disliked the way Indian musicians felt they had to do fusion music.

Awards

Singh's debut album '' Ok'' (1998) received the

in 1999. In 2010, Talvin Singh won an award at the UK Asian Music Awards (UK AMAs) for his "Commitment to Scene". He was awarded an OBE in the 2014 Birthday Honours.

Discography

Albums

*''Drum + Space'' (as Calcutta Cyber Cafe) (1996) *'' OK'' (1998) *'' Ha'' (2001) *''Sweet Box'' (2008)

Compilations

*'' Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground'' (1997) Island *''Back to Mine, Volume 8'' (2001) DMC

Collaborations and original contributions

, " Kiss Them for Me" and "Silver Waterfalls" on ''

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

'' (1991) * Keith LeBlanc, '' Time Traveller'' (1992) * Dub Syndicate, ''Live at the Town and Country Club'' *

, '' Debut'' (1993) * Abracatabla (1994) ''Sampling CD'' (time and Space) *

The Future Sound of London The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated FSOL) is a British electronic music duo composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. They have been described as a "boundary-pushing" electronic act, covering techno, ambient music, ambient, house ...

, "Life Form Ends" on ''Lifeforms'' (1994) * Little Axe – ''The Wolf That House Built'' (1994) * Bim Sherman – ''Miracle'' (1996) *

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997), also known by his initials NFAK, was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. Khan was primarily a singer of qawwali, a form of Sufi devot ...

– Star rise (1997) Real World. *

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

, " Out of My Mind", '' Medazzaland'' and '' The Saint'' (1997) *

– ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' (1999) *

, "Cyber-Raga", ''

Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

'' (2000). * Master Musicians of Jajouka (2000) * '' Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'' – Original soundtrack (2000) Island. * ''Remixsingh Ok'' (2001) Island / Japan Import. * ''Voxygen'', a commission by

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

. * Talvin Singh & Rakesh Chaurasia – ''Vira'' (2002) Sona Rupa UK. *

Tabla Beat Science Tabla Beat Science was a musical group founded in 1999 by Zakir Hussain (musician), Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell. Its style consists of a mixture of Hindustani music, Asian Underground, ambient music, drum and bass and electronica. In 2001 Kar ...

– ''Tala Matrix'' (2002) Palm Pictures. *

Richard Ashcroft Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He formed the alternative rock band the Verve in 1990 and served as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. Ashcroft was ...

– ''

Human Conditions ''Human Conditions'' is the second album by English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft. It was released on Hut Records in 2002. Release and reception Review aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised score of 61 based on 15 reviews, w ...

'' (2002) * Msoke – ''Murder Time'' (2003) Buback * Talvin Singh & Sangat – ''Songs for the Inner World'' (2004) Live French Import. * Talvin Singh feat. Amar-Jaan * Smadj – ''Selin'' (2009) * Talvin Singh & Niladri Kumar – ''Together'' (2011) * "D.U.S.T." – Talvin Singh feat. Frame/Frame (2014)

Remixes

* Blondie – " Maria" *

– " Nothing Really Matters" * Najma Akhtar – "Ghoom Charakhana" *

– " Possibly Maybe" *

– "Grief" *

John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. ...

– "Sunshines Better" *

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...

– "Answer" *

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas (, , ; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern folk music). Her music has been influenced by ...

– "Duden" * Asa-Chang & Junray – "12 Bushi" * Alisha's Attic – "Air We Breathe" * Najma Atish – "Ghoom Charakhana (Talvin Singh mix)" *

and

William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist. He is widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major Postmodern literature, postmodern author who influen ...

– "The Western Lands" * Otm Shank – "Maharaja" (Talvin Singh Remix) (2021)

References

External links

* – official site * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Talvin 1970 births Living people English people of Indian descent English people of Punjabi descent British club DJs British remixers English Sikhs People from Leytonstone English electronic musicians Tabla players Asian Underground musicians Island Records artists Officers of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century British drummers