Joi (band)

Joi
Origin East London, England
Genres Alternative, dub, hip-hop, electronica, acid house, techno, trance, funk, dance music
Years active 1983–present
Labels Rhythm King Records,
Realworld Records
Website realworldrecords.com/artists/joi
Members Farook Shamsher
Past members Haroon Shamsher (1983-1999)

Joi is a British alternative dub/dance music DJ team of Bangladeshi origin, originally composed of London brothers Farook and Haroon Shamsher. Haroon died at the turn of the century, and the remaining brother has continued Joi alone.

Background

Joi were brothers Farook and Haroon Shamsher, born to a Bangladeshi father and an Indian mother their passion for music developed at a young age as their father was an musician, a flute player. Joi was formed, originally working under the banners ‘League Of Joi Bangla Youth Organisation’ and ‘Joi Bangla,’ a collective set up in 1983 to promote Bengali culture to kids in their local area East London. Fusing Asian influences with Western beats were fusing the sounds of traditional Bengali music with hip-hop and contemporary dance styles.[1]

Studio and performance

Catching the attention of Peter Gabriel, during a set at World of Music, Arts and Dance in 1996, Joi signed to his Real World label the following year, leading to the release of their debut album, “One And One Is One” in the UK in March 1999. Later that year, Haroon died unexpectedly of a heart-attack on 8 July 1999 at the age of 34.

In between working in the studio, Joi had been taking their sound system to clubs around London, as well as supporting Spiritualised on their '98 British tour. Their sound system helped promote their fusion ethic regardless of trends within the music industry. Over the years the duo worked with various other artists and DJs, including Asian Dub Foundation, Athletico, Mixmaster Morris, Plaid and Spring Heel Jack.

The Joi Sound System has played at clubs and gigs like The End, The Complex, Return To The Source, and the Ministry of Sound. Joi also developed a live act and put on a full live show - incorporating sitar, guitar, tablas, and vocals by Susheela Raman, performed at such events such as Tribal Gathering, Whirl-Y-Gig, World of Music, Arts and Dance, Big Chill, Wembley Conference Centre, Swaraj as well as others around Europe taking them as far afield as Bucharest, Rome, Madrid and Geneva. They also performed live radio sessions with Andy Kershaw (Radio 1), XFM and Greater London Radio.[2]

Awards

Year Work Award Category Result
1993 Desert Storm Single Of The Week NME magazine Won
1999 One and One is One BBC Asian Music Award[3] Won
2006 Farook Shamsher UK Asian Music Awards “Commitment to Scene”[4] Won

Discography

Singles

Year Title Label
1988 Taj Mahouse BPM Records
Funky Asian
1992 Desert Storm Transglobal
1996 Spiritual Get-Together ZYX Music
1998 Fingers Real World Records
1999 Asian Vibes
2001 Deep Asian Vibes

EP

Year Title Label
1988 Bangladesh Nation Records

Albums

Year Title Label
1999 One and One is One[5] Real World Records
2000 We Are Three[6]
2007 Without Zero[7]

Collaborations and contributions

Year Title Artist Album Label
1997 Goddess Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Eastern Uprising Sony
India Various Artists Global Explorer Zip Dog
1998 Sweet Pain Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Star Rise Real World Records
Shanti Various Artists Further East-Westercisms Law And Auder

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Joi: Farook Shamser". British Bengali Success Stories. BritBangla. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "Joi". WOMAD. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  3. ↑ "Joi". Global Village Idiot (UK). Retrieved 9 July 2005.
  4. ↑ "Desi hits the UK AMA's". London 2006: Desi Hits. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "One and One is One by Joi". Real World Records. Retrieved 9 July 2005.
  6. ↑ "joi". Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  7. ↑ Patterson, Louis (19 March 2007). "Review of Joi - Without Zero". BBC Music. Retrieved 15 May 2011.

External links