Indian Electro Disco Funk..From India.
Now talking about anything on the internet your not an absolute expert on is a dangerous thing, especially in music trivia terms, and especially when you want to rap about some genre or other of world music form a place with a population in the billions, there are millions of people just dying to correct and school me. So I'm going to save myself any embarrassment and just say that in terms of Indian dance music of the early eighties, there is one producer I know of and enjoy (out of I'm sure many that existed at the time), named Bappi Lahiri. I think he is well known in back packer hip hop circles for producing a lot of indian funk backing tracks to bollywood flicks early in the seventies. Anyway, later in the day he got drum machines and synths and went to work.
The thing about bollywood classics is that these were part of the mainstream not just in india, but all over africa and asia as well. I'm not just posting these to be quirky, they are dusty sounding, abstract and dope. I always especially like the Billy Jean inspired 'Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena'.
To anyone who knows this stuff, I'm not posting I'am A Disco Dancer or Jimmy Jimmy Aja, I think they got well exposed after the M.I.A cover version dropped.
Oh yeah, avoid putting things in the trunk of cabs if you can in anyway bring it with you into the back seat, as you may forget them and be bummed out at yourself all evening. Just thought I would mention.
Salma Agha & Bappi Lahiri - Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena
Bappi Lahiri - Yaad Aa Raha Hai
Salma Agha - Come Closer
Bappi Lahiri - Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki
Posted by Black Shag | 16 comments
March 16, 2009 at 6:40 AM
The Disco Gods deliver once again. Man I love you all for sharing such goodness. And I feel so much better heading to a gig knowing I'll be able to make the special few go fkin nuts.. Peace M
March 24, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Love these trax. Do you know where I can find more of the same? Bollywood House?
March 24, 2009 at 5:33 PM
I could record and post a few more, otherwise if you live in London you could go into any asian music store and drop the name Bappi Lahiri and I would imagine they would hook you up.
March 26, 2009 at 4:26 PM
"Come Closer" is deserving of an edit. Seems like it could be worked into a mix with Soft Cell's "Seedy Films".
March 27, 2009 at 4:47 PM
If you do it please send it over and I will amend it to the post and transport you to international fame. Unless you already have international fame of course, in which case just do it out of the goodness of your heart.
March 30, 2009 at 12:23 PM
thank you.. thank you so much
March 31, 2009 at 2:00 PM
"Come closer" was also used by hip hop producer Dabrye for "my life" I love that dabrye beat, didn't know it was pretty much a straight rip! Thanks for that
April 4, 2009 at 6:47 PM
well spotted, I didn't even notice the obvious Dabyre sample and I know that track.
April 5, 2009 at 11:22 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
April 5, 2009 at 11:23 PM
I thought you might dig this.
http://punjabifolksingers.blogspot.com/2009/03/bappi-lahiri-bollywood-disco-king.html
April 5, 2009 at 11:23 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 30, 2009 at 3:26 AM
"Come closer" also used by Onra on 1.0.8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJNQjsGX3MA
thanks to make me discover the original
July 28, 2010 at 2:44 PM
I found the Bappi Lahiri track 'Yaad Aa Raha Hai' on a net compilation called 'Exotic Disco Volume II' and spotted the tell-tale red, yellow & black image so I thought I would speed over to you to thank you for originally posting it....I was so blown away by the track (what a vocal introduction! Sure beats any wailing western diva for emotional resonance!)....and not only did you post one but four examples of Indian electro disco funk!
It is really difficult when you don't know the language or indeed culture of a particular kind of music so its really impressive as all four tracks are excellent (I am getting into 'Eastern Bloc' late seventies/early eighties disco/electronic music and the language barrier is a nightmare!).
I lived in Bradford in England for many years in the 'Asian' part and I was probably a few hundred yards away to all this amazing music! Next time I go back and visit I am gonna score some Bappi Lahiri & Salma Agha disco action and ifI manage it you will be the first to know!
Excellent post....this is what quality music blogging is all about.
July 28, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Of course I forgot to ask the most important thing, namely which album/spundtrack these four Indian electrodiscofunk stompers came from?
I noticed they were all from 1985 but after trying a few combinations on the interweb search function thingy, still no luck
PS> no-one get excited about the blog link to more Bappi , its now only open to "invited readers"...ho-hum!
http://punjabifolksingers.blogspot.com/2009/03/bappi-lahiri-bollywood-disco-king.html
July 28, 2010 at 5:38 PM
These tracks are from either the Disco Dancer soundtrack LP or the Tarzan soundtrack LP respectively, I can't remember which ones are on which though. Both these records have dollar bin status in India and are oldie pop standards that everyone knows, but are harder to find on vinyl in the west.
May 27, 2011 at 9:34 AM
WTF...are these originals from the soundtrack? this bass on 'jeena bhi' is ridiculous..
thank you..i will be rocking this on the decks at my friends dholki in edison,nj!