#yourgoodname

Who did you collaborate with? 

I collaborated with J Boogie, a Bay Area hip-hop legend and a dear friend.  The genesis of this track is based on empowering the underserved.  We traveled to India together in 2005, and we spent two weeks traveling to Ahmedabad, Gujarat and Goa.

In Ahmedabad, we worked with Manav Sadhna, which is an NGO at the Gandhi Ashram, where they engage in community-based work and education with children who live in the slums.  The kids come from different communities, some of them are Hindu and some are Muslim, and they were all affected by the Anti-Muslim riots.  While working on music education with the kids, we recorded about 75 kids singing a song in Gujarati about their parents. 

Their voices structure the song and we started with that.  I built the bass line around them. 

It’s a really authentic sound done with simple recording techniques.  I wanted to juxtapose the melody of the kids’ voices, which is rising, with the bass line, which recedes.  The track has an LTJ Bukem Drum ’n’ Bass vibe.  I give credit to J Boogie, who did a lot of the effects on the track.  I built the bass line, playing the tabla, he put the chords in the background to give it a dreamy affect and it became a very simple ode to these kids.  It was a lot of fun.

Which Tala is the track in? 

Keherwa tala, which is a simple eight-beat cycle that a lot of folk music in India is played in. 

Have the kids heard the track?  

The track was also featured as part of an album called Global Lingo, which the kids are a part of.  The kids heard the track and they love it.  Global Lingo was released by Project Ahimsa, which is dedicated to empowering youth around the world through music education. I am their International Grants Program Director.

Any tracks that really stick out to you on the album? 

Chee Malabar’s track, New Yorkstani, really resonated with me. I love the energy and message of the track.

Any future collaborations? 

I am already collaborating with Mandeep Sethi and I’ve met up with Brooklyn Shanti.  We are working on incorporating our spoken and instrumental talents into electronic music.

Any future Benefit Concerts? 

Definitely.  I am working on a project to take kids from the Tenderloin in San Francisco – one of the poorest communities in the city - on a musical trip to meet kids in Ahmedabad; imagine the power in connecting those communities. 

Anything else?

I think this album is a recognition that we all need to come together.  We need to rethink our relationship with the clothes we wear and the way we mindlessly consume. Musicians have a special responsibility to use our talents to highlight social injustice.  Music is not just for consumption and entertainment, and I think our society has lost track of that.  It is a force to bring people together and heal, and I study Tabla because of the connection to community-building and spirituality.  I feel like my music and work is about healing and benefiting those that don’t have access, so this is a project that I am lucky and excited to take part in. 

If you haven’t downloaded Beats for Bangladesh yet, do it now!

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