Johnny Kalsi

Johnny Kalsi

Kalsi performing with The Imagined Village at the Big Chill Festival in 2008
Background information
Origin India
Genres World music
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, Producer
Instruments Vocals, Tabla, Dhol, percussion
Years active 1986 - present
Labels Shakti Records, Real World
Associated acts Afro Celt Sound System, Dhol Foundation, The Imagined Village, Transglobal Underground
Website www.dholfoundation.com

Johnny Kalsi is a British Indian dhol drum performer residing in London. He rose to prominence as a former member of Transglobal Underground and the founder of the Dhol Foundation. He also is a Member of the Afro Celt Sound System and The Imagined Village.

Biography

Early life

Kalsi and Martin Carthy performing with The Imagined Village at the Big Chill Festival
Kalsi performing with The Imagined Village in 2008

Kalsi was born in Leeds, Yorkshire. His parents had immigrated to the United Kingdom from Kenya; his grandfather had earlier moved to Mombasa from the Punjab. As a youth, he was interested in music though his parents had other aspirations for him, hoping he would become a doctor or lawyer. Kalsi was self-taught as a drummer when he joined a school jazz trio and they performed at school concerts and assembly hall meetings.[1] His exposure to a variety of genres embraced both traditional Indian music and Western influences, and he began making Eastern drum rhythms using Western instruments; along the way he redesigned the traditional dhol drum to his own specifications.[2]

Early career

In 1986, after leaving school, Kalsi joined a bhangra band called Alaap,[3] and assumed the role of lead percussionist and dhol player for the band, where he developed his own playing style and learned management skills necessary for a successful band. In 1995, Kalsi joined an emerging world music organization founded by Peter Gabriel, based at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England.[4] That connection served as a springboard for his career and exposed his talent to a global audience.

WOMAD festivals around the world soon appreciated the musical talents of The Dhol Foundation and provided many opportuniies to reach a broader audience.[5] Kalsi progressed to improve his skills with the dhol. While performing at ceremonial weddings, Kalsi was encouraged to teach his techniques to others.[6] He became the first dhol player to perform live with DJs, which appealed to younger audiences.

Kalsi's first dhol classes in Britain took place in 1989. No one had previously taught dhol as an ensemble instrument. Kalsi self funded his first tutorial classes in Slough, England in 1990.[7] During 1991 he assembled lead drummers to perform in local charity events. 1994 saw his exposure to non Asian worldwide audiences. In 1995 he progressed on the instrument while performing with more non-Asian bands. By 1996 he began to assist other artists and began collaborating on their album productions.

Kalsi worked as a session musician for two bands: Fundamental and Transglobal Underground during the early 1990s.[7] This period also provided European audiences with exposure to individual traditional music artists such as Miguel Bosé from Spain. Kalsi joined the biggest new world muaic[8] band called Afro Celt Sound System.[9] During 1997, Kalsi was touring with Fundamental performing at WOMAD festivals all over the World.[10]

Kalsi took on the role of a sideman in addition to session work, and performed with the Afro Celt Sound System on their second album, Release, which also featured Sinéad O'Connor. During the time he was with Transglobal underground Kalsi and The Dhol Foundation provided support in a European tour of the famed rock musicians Page & Plant, (both formerly of Led Zeppelin).

Later career

In 1999 Kalsi's drumming troupe, The Dhol Foundation recorded their first album. The album was recorded live at performances around the world, absorbing the differing musical influences of bands they toured with, and contributed to their sound. Big Drum Small World, featuring a large photo of Kalsi on the album cover, was released on Shakti Records in 2001. The album received positive mention from critics.[11] Kalsi drew upon his experience as a session player and his understanding of ethnic and western instrumentsto work as producer for the album. .[5]

Peter Gabriel's label, Real World Records, recorded Kalsi's first album in 2002. Martin Scorsese's movie, Gangs of New York featured one of the Big Drum songs along with music from the Afro Celt Sound System and U2, to use on the movie soundtrack. It was a big opportunity for the Dhol Foundation in Hollywood films, but were quickly followed by more performances and compositions, including music for a scene in The Incredible Hulk. Eleven ISDN links were used from the Air Studios in London to form an audiovisual link a film studio in San Francisco. While watching the film studio action on a huge plasma screen, the band were also able to monitor the reaction of Ang Lee the film director, via Webcam link from San Francisco on another smaller screen, as he in turn watched them performing live in the sound recording studio.[12] More recently (2014) The Dhol Foundation have been featured in another block buster movies end credits called "The Reluctant Fundamentalist".

Towards the end of 2002 Kalsi worked with the teenage pop singer Avril Lavigne, when she recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". It was sung by Lavigne at a War Child Charity Concert covered by MTV. Kalsi was selected to give the track an ethnic Indian feel and add some light percussion. Another charity organisation that Kalsi and The Dhol Foundation perform for is the London Parade, an organization that raises money globally for SCOPE, a charity for people with cerebral palsy.[13] Early 2013 Johnny Kalsi tookThe Dhol Foundation to perform for Stand up To Cancer. A Channel 4 endorsed programme to raise Money and awareness to what the effects of cancer are. Johnny Kalsi is a member of (Sikh Welfare Awareness Team) and each week he donates his time to feeding and clothing the homeless and people below the poverty line in central London.

Discography (selected)

References

  1. ↑ "Johnny Kalsi: Ambassador Of Love". Real World Publishing 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "World on your street". BBC Radio 3 June 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  3. ↑ "Alaap Profile". House of Bhangra 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Peter Gabriel". World Music Central.org 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Johnny Kalsi". Womad.org 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Dhol Foundation :: Drum-Believable". Ethnotechno.com 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Awakening the lion in us". New Straits Times, Sep 4, 2005. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  8. ↑ "Label Focus - New World Music" (PDF). BPI.co.uk 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Real World Records catalogue page for Capture". Realworldrecords.com. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  10. ↑ "Pulsate to the music: The Dhol Foundation". Slanted Magazine November 17th, 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  11. ↑ "Asian Music". HMV.com 27-08-2001. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  12. ↑ "Air Studios - Technical - ISDN". Airstudios.com 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  13. ↑ "The History of the Parade". Londonparade.co.uk 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2011.

External links

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