State of Bengal
| State of Bengal | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | S Zaman |
| Also known as | Sam Zaman |
| Born |
1972 (age 42–43) Noahkhali, Bangladesh |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Hip-Hop, Indian classical, electronica, breakbeat, house, drum 'n' bass, dub |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, music producer, musician |
| Instruments | Turntables, bass, electronic drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | EMI, Virgin, Realworld, Six Degrees, Betelnut Records |
| Associated acts | Deedar Zaman |
| Website |
stateofbengal |
| Notable instruments | |
| Frequency and Bass | |
Sam Zaman (born S Zaman; 1972), recording as State of Bengal, is a bangladeshii-born British DJ and music producer of Bangladesh descent associated with the UK and Asian Underground movement.
Early life
Zaman is of Bangladesh descent, he was born in Noahkhali, Bangladesh and lived in Ankara, Amman, and Dhaka before arriving in London, England at the age of eight.
Career
In 1987, Zaman set up the State of Bengal group in London after a visit to Noakhali, Bangladesh, where he interacted with traditional folk musicians and dancers. Original members of the group included his brother Deedar Zaman (later associated with the Asian Dub Foundation), and MC Mustaq (lead rapper for Fun-Da-Mental). Outside of the State of Bengal project, Zaman also worked with British Asian youth groups, setting up music training workshops.[1]
State of Bengal was a DJ at the influential Anokha club in London' East End during the mid-1990s. His tracks "Flight IC408" and "Chittagong Chill" – written and produced with Matt Mars – were featured on Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground compilation, and helped him gain prominence. Singer Björk discovered his work at Anokha; he opened with the homeogenic world tour, and remix her track "Hunter" after hearing the original "Hunter" by State of Bengal in September 1996, thereby signing to the One Little Indian record label.
After Anokha, State of Bengal took up residency at the Off Centre club nights.[2] He produced his debut album Visual Audio toured solo and at several international festivals, and did extensive remix work.
After the release of Visual Audio, State of Bengal worked on two significant projects with musicians from Bengal, collaborating with Indian sitar innovator Ananda Shankar, a long-time hero, on the 2000 album Walking Onm[3] and with Baul singer Paban Das Baul on the 2004 album Tana Tani (Push and Pull).[4]
In 2007, State of Bengal released his latest album Skip-IJ, featuring Deeder Zaman, Nexmanz, Rosina Kazi, Johanna Marin, Marque Innamost Gilmore, Coco Varma, Pundit Dinesh, Poet ME, Ram Nagi, Kevin Davy, Renu Hossain and Susmita Bannerjee. Also a track written by the revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, sung by Suzana Ansar.
Discography
Solo albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Visual Audio | One Little Indian Records, Virgin Records, Six Degrees Records |
| 2007 | Skip-IJ (Compact Disc) | Betelnut Records |
| 2008 | Skip-IJ (Digital) | |
Collaborations and contributions
| Year | Artist(s) | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal | Walking On | Realworld Records, Virgin Records |
| 2004 | State of Bengal vs. Paban Das Baul | Tana Tani | Realworld Records, EMI Records |
Compilations
| Year | Artist(s) | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Various artists | Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground | Omni/Island Records |
Remixes and other work
| Year | Artist(s) | Title | Album/Single | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Björk | Hunter remix | Hunter (single) | One Little Indian Records |
| 1998 | Massive Attack | Inertia Creeps | Mezzanine – The Remixes (album) | Virgin Records |
| Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | Shadow | Star Rise: Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and Michael Brook Remixed | Realworld Records | |
| Ronnie Jordon | New Delhi Island | Unreleased | ||
| 1999 | Amar | Day By Day, If You Say That You Love Me, Sometimes It Snows in April | Unreleased | Warner Bros. Records |
| Euphoria | Delirium 'Delhi Rias Mix' | Delirium Remixes (single) | Six Degrees Records | |
| Cheb i Sabbah | Shri Durga | Tantra Lounge (album) | ||
| 2000 | Jolly Mukherjee | Madhuvanthi, Jhinjoti, Sarang | Fusebox (album) | Palm Pictures |
| Mindless Self Indulgence | Bitches remix | Bitches/Molly (single) | Elektra Records | |
| Solar Twins | Rock The Casbah remix | Rock The Casbah (single) | Maverick Records | |
| 2001 | Khaled | Mal Habibti | Barclay Records | |
| Amar and Khaled | El Harba Wine |
See also
References
- ↑ "Biography". State of Bengal. Retrieved 7 March 2006.
- ↑ "CD Review". FFWD Weekly. 17 June 1999. Retrieved 7 March 2006.
- ↑ "Walking On: The Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal". Realworld USA. Retrieved 7 March 2006.
- ↑ "Tani Tani". Ethno Techno. Retrieved 7 March 2006.
External links
- Official website
- Betelnut Records website
- Ethnotechno interview with State of Bengal. ethnotechno. 3 March 2011
- Gaurav. State of Bengal and his views. AsianVibrations.com. 11 August 2004
- State Of Bengal on Six Degrees Records
- State of Bengal on BritBangla
- PAST EVENTS
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