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DJ Rekha:
Ambassador of Bhangra
URCAD 2016
By Cara Jaye Dekelbaum
DJ Rekha
 DJ
 Producer
 Educator
 Curator
 Owner of Beat Bazaar Music label
 New York Times: “Ambassador of Bhangra”
Tropicalia: April 16, 2016
DJ Rekha’s Roots
 Born Rekha Malhotra in England, grew up in Long
Island with her Indian family.
 1965 Immigration and Policy Act: Preference for
educated people to enter America.
 Traditional Indian family wanted Rekha to become
a lawyer and get married.
 She had other plans... Let’s see how she got started
as a DJ…
Influences
 Inspired by a tape of Bhangra music her mother had
brought back to her from India.
 Went to Fresh Fest in Long Island and saw
Whodini, LL Cool J, and Run DMC.
 Drawn to hip-hop because of the politics; there was
a message in the music. It stood for a cause.
Influences
 Influenced by Panjabi MC, the Beatles, Prince,
electronic music, new wave, disco, rap, Indian
music.
Getting Started
 Started DJ’ing with her cousin. Formed a DJ crew
with her cousins.
 Teamed up with a friend after cousins moved away
and started getting more and more gigs.
 Another friend gave her a turntable lesson.
 Preferred method now is Serato DJ software with
turntables.
 Was told at a gig not to play hip-hop and not to play
Punjabi music. So she decided to combine them…
So… What IS Bhangra?
 Fusion of Punjabi folk music and hip-hop/dance
hall beats.
 The Punjab region is in the northern part of the
Indian subcontinent between India and Pakistan.
India
Pakistan  Punjab
Punjabi Instruments
 Dhol drum: Barrel-shaped drum with a treble
(higher-pitched) head and a bass (lower-pitched)
head. Two different sized sticks are used to beat the
drum.
Punjabi Instruments
 Dhad: Small hourglass-shaped drum. Played with
the hands. Sound is altered with a cloth that is
pulled. Produces a bubbly sound.
Punjabi Instruments
 Tumbi: Plucked instrument with only one string
that produces high and low tones.
“Basement Bhangra
Anthem” (2008)
 Features Sunil Sehgal (producer and artist) as well
as Bikram Singh and Wyclef Jean.
 Features dhol, dhad, tumbi, and hip-hop beats and
effects.
 Featured on the album DJ Rekha Presents Basement
Bhangra.
Bikram Singh
 Studied at Touro Law School.
 Provides affordable legal services.
 Has his own law practice.
 Married to a fellow Punjabi lawyer.
 “International heartthrob” – New York Times
 “Absolutely the most famous” Bhangra star. – DJ
Rekha
Bikram Singh
 What does he tell his colleagues when he flies to a
venue to perform?
 “I tell them I have a conference. And then I
reschedule the work.”- Bikram Singh
Wyclef Jean
 Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti.
 Moved to New Jersey when he was 9.
 Founder and member of the Fugees (their cover of
“Killing Me Softly With His Song” is certified 6x
platinum!).
 Influenced by jazz, classic rock, and reggae.
 Co-wrote and was featured on Shakira’s “Hip’s
Don’t Lie.”
Wyclef Jean
 DJ Rekha met him at her Basement Bhangra Party in
New York.
 She was looking for somebody to collaborate with
on “Basement Bhangra Anthem.”
 Ran 20 blocks in the summer heat when she found
out Wyclef was ready to record!
Wyclef Jean
 They talked and hung around in the studio, and
then he laid down the track.
Serato Software
 Top right corner displays shape of the volume for
the sound file.
 Using the mouse to drag the file left and right
creates a scratching effect like a vinyl record.
 Ability to loop certain parts of a song.
 T slows down song.
 Y speeds it up.
 U can censor a part of the song and play it
backwards.
Impact
 Popularizing a music genre that fuses folk music
and popular music from all over the world.
 Breaking down boundaries between genres!
 Uniting people of different backgrounds on the
dancefloor.
 Getting people to dance!
 Opens people’s minds to other cultures and genres.
 Honoring the music of her heritage.
 Breaking down barriers for women in electronic
music.

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DJ Rekha

  • 1. DJ Rekha: Ambassador of Bhangra URCAD 2016 By Cara Jaye Dekelbaum
  • 2. DJ Rekha  DJ  Producer  Educator  Curator  Owner of Beat Bazaar Music label  New York Times: “Ambassador of Bhangra”
  • 4. DJ Rekha’s Roots  Born Rekha Malhotra in England, grew up in Long Island with her Indian family.  1965 Immigration and Policy Act: Preference for educated people to enter America.  Traditional Indian family wanted Rekha to become a lawyer and get married.  She had other plans... Let’s see how she got started as a DJ…
  • 5. Influences  Inspired by a tape of Bhangra music her mother had brought back to her from India.  Went to Fresh Fest in Long Island and saw Whodini, LL Cool J, and Run DMC.  Drawn to hip-hop because of the politics; there was a message in the music. It stood for a cause.
  • 6. Influences  Influenced by Panjabi MC, the Beatles, Prince, electronic music, new wave, disco, rap, Indian music.
  • 7. Getting Started  Started DJ’ing with her cousin. Formed a DJ crew with her cousins.  Teamed up with a friend after cousins moved away and started getting more and more gigs.  Another friend gave her a turntable lesson.  Preferred method now is Serato DJ software with turntables.  Was told at a gig not to play hip-hop and not to play Punjabi music. So she decided to combine them…
  • 8. So… What IS Bhangra?  Fusion of Punjabi folk music and hip-hop/dance hall beats.  The Punjab region is in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent between India and Pakistan. India Pakistan  Punjab
  • 9. Punjabi Instruments  Dhol drum: Barrel-shaped drum with a treble (higher-pitched) head and a bass (lower-pitched) head. Two different sized sticks are used to beat the drum.
  • 10. Punjabi Instruments  Dhad: Small hourglass-shaped drum. Played with the hands. Sound is altered with a cloth that is pulled. Produces a bubbly sound.
  • 11. Punjabi Instruments  Tumbi: Plucked instrument with only one string that produces high and low tones.
  • 12. “Basement Bhangra Anthem” (2008)  Features Sunil Sehgal (producer and artist) as well as Bikram Singh and Wyclef Jean.  Features dhol, dhad, tumbi, and hip-hop beats and effects.  Featured on the album DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra.
  • 13. Bikram Singh  Studied at Touro Law School.  Provides affordable legal services.  Has his own law practice.  Married to a fellow Punjabi lawyer.  “International heartthrob” – New York Times  “Absolutely the most famous” Bhangra star. – DJ Rekha
  • 14. Bikram Singh  What does he tell his colleagues when he flies to a venue to perform?  “I tell them I have a conference. And then I reschedule the work.”- Bikram Singh
  • 15. Wyclef Jean  Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti.  Moved to New Jersey when he was 9.  Founder and member of the Fugees (their cover of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is certified 6x platinum!).  Influenced by jazz, classic rock, and reggae.  Co-wrote and was featured on Shakira’s “Hip’s Don’t Lie.”
  • 16. Wyclef Jean  DJ Rekha met him at her Basement Bhangra Party in New York.  She was looking for somebody to collaborate with on “Basement Bhangra Anthem.”  Ran 20 blocks in the summer heat when she found out Wyclef was ready to record!
  • 17. Wyclef Jean  They talked and hung around in the studio, and then he laid down the track.
  • 18. Serato Software  Top right corner displays shape of the volume for the sound file.  Using the mouse to drag the file left and right creates a scratching effect like a vinyl record.  Ability to loop certain parts of a song.  T slows down song.  Y speeds it up.  U can censor a part of the song and play it backwards.
  • 19. Impact  Popularizing a music genre that fuses folk music and popular music from all over the world.  Breaking down boundaries between genres!  Uniting people of different backgrounds on the dancefloor.  Getting people to dance!  Opens people’s minds to other cultures and genres.  Honoring the music of her heritage.  Breaking down barriers for women in electronic music.