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Bhangra rock? What's that?

This question was answered: as the Other Art Cafe welcomed
the Vancouver-based band Dal Dil Vog. With their unique brand of
bhangra and rock, they scored big with the audience and left Prince
George convinced that two seemingly different music influences can
be fused together successfully.

Bhangra has been becoming increasingly popular with the
opening of bhangra clubs in the Lower Mainland. The music relies
on the dhol which is the basis of bhangra music.

The band is comprised of seven members, five Indo-Canadians
and two Caucasians. :

Their music is an unlikely combination of English, Hindi and
Punjabi that is appealing to mainstream audiences throughout
Canada.

PEACE

by Manpreet Sidhu

Kismet

Band members believe it was fate that brought them together.

"There are four brothers in the band," says guitarist Ranj Singh.
"Exx, myself, Jas and Av."

They were in a folk band playing traditional music and touring
all across North America with their "pack the dance floor"
bhangra/rock.

Lead singer Dal was enjoying a very successful solo career
with his best selling album Beat the Rap, a mixture of pop, rock,
funk and bhangra. He was also touring and performing.

"We keep on saying this was kismet and karma and the whole
thing that we got together how we did," says Dal. "I had put out
tonnes of ads and never got any neat replies back and there was
actually one point where I was doing a gig in Vancouver and |
needed a band because I did all my stuff to tapes."

Bass player Jas Singh agrees. "It was kind of weird because
Dal was a singer looking for a band and we were a band looking for
a different singer." 3 F

These two artistic talents teamed up and the band was born. ar deere, i one or
They added Dave Mills (keyboard) and Craig Burdes (drums) and This was just the

recording time in a recording
studio, air play for three songs
on CFOX, two music videos
and promotional photographs.
They came out as double

the group was complete. Av moved from the drun kit to the dhol and beginning.
this led to their music’s distinctive beat.
"It's weird,though, how we came together," says Burdes. Other Art Rocks
"The stars and the moon were aligned in exactly the right place Punjabi-Style!
at the right time," Dal jokes. This win brought more
: : exposure and tourin:
Demo Listen Derby '94 opportunities for the band. :

After months of practicing in a door factory and a produce store
and making their music as tight as it is, they began playing live
shows in the Vancouver area. ;

Last summer Dal-Dil-Vog entered the Demo Listen Derby
sponsored by CFOX, a Vancouver rock radio station, and beat out
259 other bands to take first place.

The win came as a surprise to them because they'd entered it as
a last-minute decision.

"We didn't enter it as a joke," Mills explained. "We were very
serious about entering it but we were very light-hearted about getting
anywhere with it."

Burdes agreed. "We thought we were a joke, not them. The
competition was serious. Our music is just too different from what
we thought they were looking for."

They had entered it believing that the chances of winning were
slim and decided to just go out and have a good time on the stage.
That attitude helped them take first place.

It took a while for the realization to sink in that they had won accomodate all seven band
and when it did, the initial feelings of shock and disbelief had abated. embers.

"We were on an outrageous high, " said lead guitarist Exx They

"We are the most-exposed
band without a CD," Mills
jokes.

They began their first tour
north of Vancouver in Prince
George for two shows on the
17th and 18th of February at the
Other Art Cafe.

Curious listeners arrived to
see what was in store for them.
Those who had heard of

‘ bhangra were expecting great
dance music and weren't
disappointed.

Their performance was
filled with energy. At times, the
stage looked too small to

switched from

Singh. traditional music to ballads
. 2 . to
They atrtribute their success to the diverse musical background qance music to Simon and

that each band member brought with him. Garfunkel's "Cecilia" with
With this win came $3000 dollars worth of musical equipment, The group's spontaneity was

site une,

Dal-Dil-Vog

per
Wat De

a

enough to keep the audience.
wondering what was in store for
them next.

Lead singer Dal taught the
audience to dance the bhangra:
.The dance floor was packed!
midway through the first set and
continued to be so throughout:
the night.

Peace, Love, Respect

When they were in Prince
George, Dal-Dil-Vog also
toured local schools to promote
cultural understanding and get,
across their message of peace, ,
love, respect and harmony.

"You don't have to be of a
certain culture to understand
that culture," Dal said. t

"We're tying two different
influences together and trying to
break down the barrier," Av
explained.

The school tours are a
result of four or five months of '
planning and the band intends
to continue with these because
the response has been positive.

"Excellent!" Av
exclaimed. “It was more than
what we expected."

Students flocked the band
members and bombarded them
with questions and requests for
autographs.

The New World
Although the band has

Wednesday March 29, 1995 13.

been together for two and a half
years, they have been recording
for only one. Their album The
New World has been in the
making for three years and will
be out soon. The first single,
Da Vohti (The Bride), will be
out in early March followed by
the release of the CD a few
weeks later.

Upcoming

They were in Toronto this
past week in celebration of
Canada Music Week
preforming at the Hard Rock

’ Cafe.

As for returning to Prince
George? Tentative bookings
are in place for April and
September.

"There is no end to what
we are going to do," Av
predicted. "We'll go on as
many shows as we can and keep
the machine rolling."

When asked how long they
infend to be in the music

industry, the response was
unified:
"Forever." *#