 |
Mixing music and politics is a tricky business. Flag waving, chest-thumping anti-establishment rhetoric doesn't enjoy a long shelf life in the world of free-market pop. Asian Dub Foundation, a band that like their politics, make things even harder for themselves by packaging their political views in an unlikely mix of ethnic Indian sounds and West Indian dub vibes. Then, just so you're properly confused, they throw in an electronic assault of drum 'n' bass programming, reverbed drums, dhols, political speeches, screeching harmoniums and a squall of FX-drenched guitar.
Then you realize they've come out of London and it all makes sense. Multicultural in the most British sense, a collective like Asian Dub Foundation could only evolve in the cultural fruit salad that is London. Mixing their rebel enthusiasm with bouncy raga rock and communicating it in the Patois of the Caribbean is second nature for a gang of Asian lads raised on the multicultural streets of East London.
Meet Asian Dub Foundation, the band that offers you the revolution on CD. Can their music make a change? ADF certainly think so. They've been at it for over a decade now and the fire in their rebellious bellies seems a long way from waning. Their causes have ranged from anti-racism to pro-immigration; they've supported Make Trade Fair and opposed GATT. They've helped win freedom for the unjustly convicted Satpal Ram and casually turned down an MBE from the Queen herself!
The band came together in 1993 in London's East End where bassist Dr. Das (Aniruddha Das) was a tutor at Community Music, a music education programme for disadvantaged South Asian and black kids. He teamed up with a 14 year old student, rapper Deedar Zaman (brother to Sam Zaman of State Of Bengal) and social activist Pandit G (John Ashok Pandit) to form a band that could play at anti-racist gigs. In time the line-up was rounded off with the addition of guitarist Chandrasonic (Steve Chandra Savale) and MIDI effects man Sun-J (Sanjay Gulabhai Tailor). Their first gig was at an anti-racist benefit for Quddus Ali.
With buzzwords like 'sonic militancy', 'audio terrorism', 'conscious clubbing' and '21st century MIDI warriors' peppering their in-your-face musical dictionary, there's little doubt that ADF's members aren't very moderate when it comes to championing their various causes. Possibly their most celebrated cause was their involvement in the Free Satpal Ram campaign. In 1986, Satpal Ram was a victim of a racist attack in a restaurant in Birmingham. He was slashed at with broken glass and whilst defending himself he injured one of his attackers. The man was rushed to the hospital but refused medical treatment and later died. Satpal Ram was subsequently accused of murder. He was provided with lawyers who refused to argue his case and advised him to plead manslaughter instead of self-defense. Satpal was found guilty of murder in half an hour and sentenced to ten years in prison. He ended up serving 15 years and undergoing persecution from the authorities while he appealed his sentence and conviction.
Asian Dub Foundation got behind the cause of Satpal Ram, dedicating their gigs to him and encouraging fans to write to the government insisting on his release. They wrote the ferocious anthem Free Satpal Ram and burned up stages all over Europe and the US spreading awareness for Satpal. Fans began writing cards to Satpal's parole board. At first they ignored the letters but after 30,000 of them, they were forced to sit up and listen. After years of appeals and petitions, Satpal was finally freed in June 2002, having served over 15 years behind bars.
Over the course of five studio albums and two live sets, the band have dived into countless social and political issues in their quest to trigger debate. Their first few albums spoke of their experiences as second generation Asians growing up with institutionalized racism in England, as well as dealing with the history of their roots. They wrote songs about the Naxalite uprising in Bengal, the freedom fighter Udham Singh and the struggle for 'militant unity'. Lately though, their politics have crossed boundaries and seen them tackle the issues of immigration and bullying governments. The events of September 11 and the ongoing strife in Iraq have set them off at their spitting furious best as they castigated Bush and Blair for meddling in the Middle East. As they point out on their latest album Tank - “No Iraqi ever called me a Paki!”
You can read the rest of our feature on the Asian Dub Foundation in the June 2005 issue of The Record Music Magazine available at your local newsagent.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Record has been around since 1998. Do you have every issue of your favourite magazine?
 to order back issues
Would you like to have your favourite music magazine delivered directly to
your doorstep?
|
|
