Recently, DJ Dass had the pleasure of interviewing one of the best DJ's on the desi music scene at the moment, namely 'DJ Jiten.' Toronto's finest is best known for his long running BMW (Bad, Mad & Wicked) series which features Hindi remixes.
DJ Dass: When did you first start dj'ing and who inspired you?
DJ Jiten: I officially started Dj'ing at the age of 17, but I was interested in it from as long as I remember. I really didn't have any one person as an inspiration; rather it was the love for music that inspired me. I can remember even from the first school dance I ever went to, I would always be carefully watching the DJ the whole night, dancing was secondary.
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DJ Dass: What do you think of Bhangra scenes these days?
DJ Jiten: I think that for the most part it is strong and kicking. There seems to be resurgence in North America as far as accepting more and more UK bhangra. However, I am a little disappointed in the rampant sampling in the UK and record labels calling it original work. At least when we did underground remixes everybody new it wasn't legit, and nobody hid it. All |
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| these "original" albums coming from the UK have illegal samples, which is not good for the scene. Original music should not rely on samples, and if it does it should be cleared or replayed. |
DJ Dass: Have you been working on a new album lately? If yes, when do you think it will be releasing?
DJ Jiten: I actually am not working on an album right now. I have been keeping busy gigging so I haven't made time yet to do so. The next thing I do will be something experimental as well, I think doing the same style all the time is redundant.
DJ Dass: What are your interests apart from dj'ing?
DJ Jiten: I really don't have that many other interests outside music. I would say that I'm a huge basketball fan. If a game is on TV and I get a call to do a gig, I'll get their number and do business after the game.
DJ Dass: Who are your favourite singers and producer from the UK's bhangra scene?
DJ Jiten: As far as singers go, I like the old school Malkit and Kang as well as B21. As far as producers, PMC always manages to come up with a big hit.
DJ Dass: Apart from being a dj do have any other jobs?
DJ Jiten: No, fortunately I do this full time, so I'm glad I don't have to work. I couldn't wake up that early anyway.
DJ Dass: What are your favourite types of music?
DJ Jiten: RnB, funk and reggae are my favourites.
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DJ Dass: What do you think of the Asian music scene in the USA? How does it compare to the desi music scene in the UK?
DJ Jiten: The UK is a very traditional "bhangra" based scene. This is in large part to the fact that Punjabi's have a large population there. With the exception of Vancouver, Toronto and California, Punjabi's are a minority in the US. Therefore, bhangra that is not watered down is not as popular. In the US they appreciate bhangra that is not too traditional or exclusive. To put it in a nutshell, when I'm in Toronto, Vancouver or California that is the only time I would ever be asked to play Put Jattan De, everywhere else they'll ask for Shava Shava etc.
DJ Dass: It has been said that the remix scene is full of average dj's with a lot of people just doing it and coming up with nothing more than average mixes? |
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| Would you agree with these comments? |
DJ Jiten: First of all, majority of people who release remixes are not even DJ's. There is this studio in New York where you give them the song you want on CD and somebody will mix it for you. Guys who do that don't last too long though. At the end of the day, you got to be able to rock a crowd live - that's what gives you staying power. You can't bring that guy from the New York studio to do your gigs right?
DJ Dass: Do you have a final message for the thousands of desitunes4u.com visitors all over the world?
DJ Jiten: A large reason that I haven't released anything for a while is because of the Internet. There has to be profitability in the music business for people like me and anyone else to be encouraged to work on new music. Once that's gone people will do something else. I'm all for free downloads, but remember nothing in life is truly for free. There always is a cost down the road.
That concludes the interview, a big thanks to DJ Jiten for sparing a few moments to do the interview. Although he has nothing releasing in the near future, watchout for future releases from Toronto's finest. If you wanna contact at him youself then you can by e-mailing him at contact@dj-jiten.com. He has a wicked website which you can check out at www.dj-jiten.com now!!
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