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DJ SOUNDAR

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Dravidian Spirit on BBC Radio1
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Dravidian Spirit on BBC Radio1
Released: Apr 29, 2008
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General Info

  • Genre: Drum & Bass / Fusion / Jungle

    Location Paris, Fr

    Profile Views: 51338

    Last Login: 4/15/2012

    Member Since 11/28/2006

    Website http://www.myspace.com/dravidiancrew

    Record Label Asian Electronica

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    • DJ / Activist / Producer / Remixer / Performer • Asian Underground Gig Promoter • • Founder & Member of the "Dravidian Crew" (Fr) and Co-Founder of "Asian Electronica" (Fr) • Label: Asian Electronica. Distribution: Musicast ____________________________________________ One of an innovative new wave of DJs, Soundar was the first Asian DJ / producer and Asian underground music promoter on the urban French electronic music scene. Versatile & skillful, he mixes the rich, intricate & complex sounds of his cultural heritage with western urban & electronic beats, producing music with passion & integrity. His mixes transport you to a place where time-honoured Indian traditions meet contemporary western technology, reflecting his true cultural and artistic identity with the sensuality and authenticity of his work. ____________________________________________ With his music DJ Soundar aims to build a bridge between different cultures & help encourage a universal appetite for this. As a citizen of the free world, he has a passion for it's emotion & diversity, a love for all musical styles & is fascinated by all the facets of humanity he's experienced. Always with a desire to forge new musical dimensions, he exhilarates his listeners by fusing the many influences of his universe. Understanding the power embodied in music to kindle the spirit, widen horizons, and call out to tolerance, music is a religion for DJ Soundar, free from discrimination and racism - a catalyst for love & positive emotion. It is his goal, even if in a small way, to be a part of connecting people of all cultures, to include them, to encourage understanding & discovery of each other. For him music is all-inclusive & speaks one universal language. ____________________________________________ DJ Soundar is an East African / Asian, tri-lingual artist, born in Djibouti, East Africa and raised in Pondicherry, India. His father is South Indian and his mother is half Egyptian / Somalian & Yemenite. ____________________________________________ From early in childhood his passion for music and all forms of art was undeniable as he started playing the Mridangam (South Indian classical percussion instrument) as well as the Paraï & the Pambaï (South Indian folk percussion) from the age of 9. It was only a short time after this when he started practicing the ancient martial art of Okinawa and also floor gymnastics, both of which he continued for the next 17 years. ____________________________________________ His career as a DJ & promoter began in 1993 in India as he quickly began to light up dance floors across the country with his 'Psychedelictrans' nights in Mumbai, Goa, Chennai and Pondicherry. ____________________________________________ Attracted by the progressive sounds & blend of cultural influences of the burgeoning drum 'n' bass & jungle scene, Soundar relocated to Europe in 1996. In London of that year he met Aki Nawaz (Nation Records & Fun-Da-Mental) He then went on to play warm-up sets for Nation Records nights & for Fun-Da-Mental in Paris at Le Batofar, Le Trabendo & La Villette; and also for Transglobal Underground at la Maison des Arts de Creteil in Paris. ____________________________________________ During this period he developed an artful & incisive DJ style, fusing breakbeat and drum & bass with hints of South Indian folk & classical (Carnatic) music, which set him apart from his cross-channel peers who were drawing influences from Hindustani & Bhangra music at the time. ____________________________________________ In 1999 a meeting with 'Da Krishna' led to the formation of Drav'Indianz, a live jungle crew who were preselected in 2002 to play at Printemps De Bourges in Paris. ____________________________________________ Following a racist attack in the Paris metro in 2003, Soundar had his left arm amputated. During his recovery he received phenomenal support from Dr Das, Asian Dub Foundation, Aki Nawaz @ Fun Da Mental, Juttla and all the crew at Nation Records. ____________________________________________ In 2004 he founded his current outfit, the Dravidian Crew and started promoting Asian Beat Science gigs in Paris with Joanne aka Bastet of Tekaway Concept. ____________________________________________ He is currently collaborating with many international artists as a remixer and producer, including: Dr Das, Visionary Underground, Asian Dub Foundation & Universal Taal Project . . . ____________________________________________ His tracks have been played by Bobby Friction, Nihal & Nerm on the BBC's Asian Network and on BBC Radio 1 and has been interviewed for Bobby Friction's show on Radio 1. He's also has had airplay on Nerm's Electro East radio show & participated in Radio 1's Eurovision DJ Contest in 2008 & 2009 ____________________________________________ In 2008 DJ Soundar released the first volume of the compilation 'Asian Electronica' with Da Krishna which featured many great artists from the Asian Underground, including: Asian Dub Foundation, UK Apache, Nitin Sawhney, Dr Das, Juttla, Visionary Underground . . . plus artists from the French scene including Zami'X, Da Krishna & DJ Soundar himself. The release covers genres from breakbeat, to garage, jungle, to drum & bass and a was a testament to the versatility, cultural richness & substance of music from the Asian Underground. ____________________________________________ Soundar has supported and played alongside many international artists, such as ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, TALVIN SINGH, BADMARSH & SHRI and UK APACHE, KARSH KALE, DR DAS, JUTTLA (Eastern Pressure Records), BOBBY FRICTION, DJ KUSHBOO (Swaraj Records), SONIC GURUS, BOLLYWOOD BRASS BAND, TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND, DUM DUM PROJECT, FUN DA MENTAL (Nation Records), U-CEF KNIGHT, DJ IYTAL (Trigger), PASCAL OF BOLLYWOOD, FREDERIC GALLIANO & THE AFRICAN DIVAS, IDIR, DIGITAL BLED, CHARGED, HARDKAUR, JOI, MUKTA, FFF, DJ ABDEL, DEMON, DIFFERENT DRUMMER, DEE NASTY, SPEX MC (Asian Dub Foundation), ISRAEL VIBRATION, RANVIR SINGH VERMA @ UNIVERSAL TAAL PROJECT, INVASIAN KREW KILLAH, NATASHA ATLAS, TRILOK GURTU, JIMMY PAGE & ROBERT PLANT (Led Zeppelin), NIYAZ, SANJAY TAYLOR (Asian Dub Foundation) & AKTAR AHMED (Asian Dub Foundation), BIGDUTTY DEEZE, STOPTHE GUNCRIME, BIGGIS DOD, DEEDER ZAMAN & REBEL UPRISING Soundsystem, DR DAS DUBNOIZ QUINTET... ____________________________________________ He has also organised & hosted events in France featuring artists such as ARIEL WIZZMAN, EKTO (Tekaway Concept), JEDY (Skyzophrene), DAIJA (Subculture), JAHBASS (Matozoides), LUCKY BUZZ (Santa Crew), FRED MATO (Matozoides), MC YOUTHMAN (Central Massiv), DJ AWAL (New Bled Vibration), DIK'XS (La ConspiraSon), SAZA (Tekaway Concept), ANAKYNE (Underpressure Records), OLIVIA LFX, MC WIZZL, RICO & ZAMI'X (Oxygen Records), THOMAS DI MATTEO, TERRY LAIRD, CHOUM, SECRET VIBES, 69 DB, INTERLOPE, LUKE, MASS HYSTERIA, AQME, LA PHAZE, ZENZILE, HILIGHT TRIBE ,BRAIN DAMAGE, KAOPHONIC TRIBU, CONGO PUNK... ____________________________________________ You can find him spinning at many different dancefloors in the following clubs & venues: LE NOUVEAU CASINO, BATOFAR, CABARET SAUVAGE, MCM CAFE, COFFEE INDIA, CAFE CHERI(E), GIBUS, LE TRABENDO, GLAZ'ART, CITHEA, OPA, PENICHE ALTERNAT, LE ZORBA, LE CANOTIER, LE CAVEAU DES ARTISTES, L'ABRACADABAR, L'ETAGE, LA JAVA, LE TRIPTYQUE, LE CABARET PIRATE, L'OLYMPIC CAFÉ, LE MANDALA RAY, STUDIO 287, LA POINTE LA FAYETTE, LA MEZZANINE DE L'ALCAZAR, LE SOMO, LA FLECHE D'OR, TRUC MUSH, BATEAU COMPAGNIE DU RUBAN BLEU, BISTROT DES ARTISTES, LE PAVILLON DU LAC / PARC des BUTTES-CHAUMONT, EMB, AUX PYRAMIDES (Port-Marly), LA TRAVERSE, STUDIO 26, BANANA CAFE, MAISON DES ARTS DE CRETEIL, LE CAFE MONTMARTRE,FESTIVAL NUITS BLED VIBRATIONS, LA GUINGUETTE PIRADE, GRANDE HALLE DE LA VILLETTE, OPUS CAFE, PENICHE BOER 2, MAINS D'ŒUVRES, LE TRIANGLE CAFE, LA REGENCE,AMPHITHEÂTRE DE SCIENCES PO, POP CORNER, LA COUR DU MAROC, LE LECHE-VIN, FESTIVAL LILLE 3000, LE GAST, LE KLUB, SALLE ABC, LE TRI POSTAL (Lille), DETONE BAR, LE KARAMBOLE, LE DIVAN DU MONDE, FESTIVAL LES GIBOULES, LE CAT@ BORDEAUX, LA FRENCH K-WA, INDIAN CONNECTION, O'SULLIVAN'S REBEL BAR, FESTIVAL LES MONDES PLURIELLES (Dunkerque), FESTIVAL DU FUTUR COMPOSE (Cabaret Sauvage), LES FOLLES NUITS INDIENNES(Paris), LE BRIC-à-BRAC, TICKET TO BOLLYWOOD (Armentières), LA MACHINE DU MOULIN ROUGE, RAVAL FESTIVAL (Barcelona), MIXTAPE 5 (Sofia, Bulgaria)L'ALIMENTATION GENERALE.... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......................... ..

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