So here’s the thing. I have long since come to terms with the fact that you can try to run but you simply cannot hide from bhangra and Bollywood any where in the world (ask me after a few cocktails and I’d probably wonder why you’d want to anyway.) So last summer I experienced a Basement Bhangra night in New York City and last night I had the most entertaining evening at the Notting Hill Arts Club Bombay Bronx night. I don’t actually know what or where the “Bombay Bronx” is. I’m just going with the assumption that its akin to the “Bombay Potato” they serve out in Berkeley which isn’t actually a dish in Mumbai at all. But you had to love it. A ghetto nightclub, teeming with desis of every imaginable shape and size and a few goras (local folk) trying hard to look like they do this all the time (which in fact they probably do.)
DJ Nihal was on deck and they even had a few stage performances by the Drama Setterz (who break beat to bhangra) Juggy D (remember him? He was part of Rishi Richi’s crew who I’m told is currently in Mumbai doing things in Bollywood) along with a motely crew of a tabla player, a guitarist and rappers who I can’t quite recognize but featured the first female asian beat boxer I’ve ever seen in the flesh. Oh and then of course guess who saunters in?
Evidentally in high spirits and hanging with her sister – Hard Kaur appears to be very much at home here. Or course once she was there it just felt like I was part of a very long remix video which hit the range of old school Bollywood and hip hop from “Teri To” to “Here comes the Hotstepper.” Hilarious and actually pretty awesome all at once. Bhangra Power baby!
P.S. Guess who I dragged along for my night of filmy fun? Reshma Bombaywalla is a London-walli now and appears to be loving it. But nobody panic she’ll be back in her beloved Mumbai come April.