The Voodoo Queens were an English, North London-based
indie punk
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, by th ...
/
riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington, and the greater Pacific Northwest, and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. A subcultural movement ...
band, who reached number one in the UK Indie Chart in 1993.
History
The band was composed of Anjali Bhatia (guitar, vocals),
Ella Guru
Ella Guru (born Ella Drauglis; May 24, 1966) is an American painter and musician living in Hastings, East Sussex, England. She was a member of Mambo Taxi and the Voodoo Queens. In 1999, she became one of the founding members of the Stuckist ...
(guitar, backing vocals), Stefania 'Steffi' Lucchesini (drums), Rajni Bhatia (keyboards) and Anjula Bhaskar (bass). Rebecca Lunn later stepped in for Anjula who had to leave to visit family in India. and Mary Deigan replaced her on bass in 1994.
In late 1992, Anjali left the group
Mambo Taxi
Mambo Taxi were an English, London-based British indie band, linked with riot grrrl, who formed in 1991 and split up in 1995.Mason, StewartMambo Taxi Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-02-01
History
Mambo Taxi were inspired by the UK garage r ...
, in which she was the drummer, to start the Voodoo Queens, along with her sister Rajni and cousin Anjula, Ella Guru (also of Mambo Taxi), and drummer Sunny.Strong, Martin C. (2003) "Voodoo Queens", in ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, After only one concert, they were offered a
Peel session
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
by
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
DJ
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
. This was recorded in January 1993, whilst Anjali was still working at
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street.
In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenh ...
in
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...
. Other radio and TV appearances followed, including a further two Peel Sessions, and a
busking
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuity, gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performa ...
competition against
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band created in 1993 by the talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's ''The Late Late Show (Ireland), The Late Late Show''. Its most successful line-up was co ...
on Channel 4's music and arts programme Naked City.
The music press, in addition to associating the band with the riot grrrl scene, also grouped them with other Asian-fronted bands such as
Cornershop
Cornershop are an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, in 1991. The group are best known for their single " Brimful of Asha" from their third album '' When I Was Born for the 7th Time''. A remixed version of the track reached number one ...
; Anjali felt that the press focused more on the music scene instead of the musical content.
Following the dissolution of the band,
Ella Guru
Ella Guru (born Ella Drauglis; May 24, 1966) is an American painter and musician living in Hastings, East Sussex, England. She was a member of Mambo Taxi and the Voodoo Queens. In 1999, she became one of the founding members of the Stuckist ...
joined the
Stuckist
Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson (artist), Charles Thomson to promote Figurative art, figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.Wiiija Records. Deigan joined The Hangovers, and later, along with Ella Guru, the Deptford Beach Babes. Steffi briefly played with long-running all-female post-punk band Gertrude.
Discography
Singles/EPs
*"Supermodel Superficial"/"Chocolate (Melt in Your Mouth)" (1993)
Too Pure
Too Pure Records was a London-based independent record label formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox. The label gained prominence after the release of PJ Harvey's debut studio album ''Dry (album), Dry'' in 1992, and subsequently found f ...
*"Kenuwee Head"/"My Little Guitar Baby" (1993) Too Pure
*"F Is For Fame"/"I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want To Kill You) adio Nasty version (1994) Too Pure
*"Eat The Germs"/"Hairy"" (1995) Voodoo Records
*"Neptune"/"I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want To Kill You)" (1995) Dirt Records S release
Albums
*''Chocolate Revenge'' (1994) Too Pure ("You're Dumped", "Princess of the Voodoo Beat", "Neptune", "Summer Sun", "I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want to Kill You)", "Faceache", "Indian Film Star", "Cactus Trees", "Shopping Girl Maniac", "Chocolate Eyes", "My Favourite Handbag")
*''Peel Sessions'' (1994)
Strange Fruit
"Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song
Protest song, protests the Lynch ...