Holi Hai! Come prepared to smile and sweat at this workshop focusing on choreography celebrating India’s Holi Festival.
BOLLYWOOD HOLI WORKSHOP IN SAN DIEGO W/ DJ PRASHANT
$30 Pre-Register // $35 At The Door
GET TICKETS HERE: http://bit.ly/SD_Workshop_Mar23
Dance Workshop:
Saturday, March 23rd
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Studio K Dance and Fitness – 9340 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite F, San Diego, CA 92123
Dance like a Bollywood star! After 10 years of teaching across the west coast, the charismatic choreographer & DJ, Prashant is returning to San Diego for a workshop dedicated to sharing vibrant dances from India.
Holi is a Springtime festival of colors that began in India and is celebrated around the world. Participants in this workshop will learn basic Bollywood steps and apply them in a choreography that fuses traditional and modern moves. Get into character and learn how to dance like a Bollywood star!
Watch this LIVE video from Prashant’s recent workshop in Denver to get an idea of what to expect in class!
Interested participants (21+) will have the opportunity to perform the choreography they learn in class alongside Prashant at our Jai Ho! Dance Party at Kava Lounge that evening!
Workshop attendees get FREE entry into this party! Come practice what you learned in class on the dance floor. 🙂
Teleport to a scene smack in the middle of a Bollywood musical within minutes at DJ Prashant’s Jai Ho! Dance Party. At the core of Jai Ho!, we celebrate the values of inclusivity and sharing positive vibes by bringing the best of Indian culture to the dance floor. With festive elements like Holi Colors & Dandiya Sticks, we create a celebration of music and dance like none other. We invite you to be goofy, smile, make friends on the dance floor, and of course, to sing and dance ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
Prashant brings over 10 years of experience in teaching Bollywood & Bhangra dance at universities (PSU, REED & PCC), various dance studios (Portland, Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles & New Orleans) as well as DJing cultural events to people of all ages, cultures & nationalities to both coasts of America & places in between. When he is not traveling across the US teaching dance or DJ’ing, Prashant spends time making music with his producer, Jireh.
After 10 years of teaching across the west coast, the charismatic choreographer & DJ, Prashant is coming to Los Angeles for a workshop dedicated to a new fusion dance – BHANGRATON! All the latest banging Bhangra beats mashed up with the hottest Reggaeton rhythms combine for a unique dance experience.
Interested participants will have the opportunity to perform the choreography they learn in class alongside Prashant at our Jai Ho! Dance Party on March 22nd at West End Nightclub!
Workshop attendees (21+) get FREE entry into this party! Come practice what you learned in class on the dance floor. 🙂
Teleport to a scene smack in the middle of a Bollywood musical within minutes at DJ Prashant’s Jai Ho! Dance Party. At the core of Jai Ho!, we celebrate the values of inclusivity and sharing positive vibes by bringing the best of Indian culture to the dance floor. With festive elements like Holi Colors & Dandiya Sticks, we create a celebration of music and dance like none other. We invite you to be goofy, smile, make friends on the dance floor, and of course, to sing and dance ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
Founder of Jai Ho! Dance Party & Dance United, Prashant is an Indian born ex-Intel engineer turned Bollywood sensation. Based in Portland, OR with over 10 years of experience performing across the US, Prashant‘s effervescent personality & charisma instantly strikes a chord with audiences of all ages & backgrounds. A one-of-a-kind Bollywood showman, this triple threat singer, choreographer, & DJ has a simple agenda, to make you dance all night long.
While deeply rooted in Bollywood & Bhangra music, his DJ sets often feature an irresistible blend of some of the world’s hottest dance music genres. The interactive dance lessons sprinkled in his DJ sets compel everybody to rock the dance floor, transforming any dance party into a full-fledged Bollywood musical within minutes.
Dance like a Bollywood star! After 10 years of teaching across the west coast, the charismatic choreographer & DJ, Prashant is returning to iBody Denver for a workshop dedicated to sharing vibrant dances from India. Come prepared to smile & sweat at this workshop focusing on two high energy music & dance forms.
Participants will spend the first-hour learning Bhangra, the high energy folk dance originating from the north Indian state of Punjab. During the second hour, Prashant will introduce you to the dreamy world of Bollywood, India’s largest film industry based out of Mumbai. You will learn the building blocks of both dances, as well as build a choreography for each form that will have you smiling throughout the workshop & beyond.
Evening Party:
Interested participants (21+) will have the opportunity to perform the choreography they learn in class alongside Prashant at our Jai Ho! Dance Party at Your Mom’s House that evening!
Workshop attendees get FREE entry into this party! Come practice what you learned in class on the dance floor. 🙂
Teleport to a scene smack in the middle of a Bollywood musical within minutes at DJ Prashant’s Jai Ho! Dance Party. At the core of Jai Ho!, we celebrate the values of inclusivity and sharing positive vibes by bringing the best of Indian culture to the dance floor. With festive elements like Holi Colors & Dandiya Sticks, we create a celebration of music and dance like none other. We invite you to be goofy, smile, make friends on the dance floor, and of course, to sing and dance ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
Prashant brings over 10 years of experience in teaching Bollywood & Bhangra dance at universities (PSU, REED & PCC), various dance studios (Portland, Seattle & New Orleans) as well as DJing cultural events to people of all ages, cultures & nationalities to both coasts of America & places in between. When he is not traveling across the US teaching dance or DJ’ing, Prashant spends time making music with his producer, Jireh.
Inspired by the movie Gully Boy (showcasing the underground hip-hop scene), DJ Prashant, born in India & brought up on the streets of Mumbai, comes to San Diego for a one-time dance workshop to the song Apna Time Aayega.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
3 pm to 5 pm (teens & above)
Location: Studio K Dance & Fitness, 9340 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Ste F, San Diego, CA.
Dance like a Bollywood star! After 10 years of teaching across the west coast, the charismatic choreographer & DJ, Prashant is debuting his original choreography in San Diego to the hit song from the movie Gully Boy.
Interested in filming a dance video with Prashant after the workshop? Dress in beachy attire & travel to the coast from 5 – 7 PM. Check out this video he filmed in Seattle after his workshop:
Prashant brings over 10 years of experience in teaching Bollywood & Bhangra dance at universities (PSU, REED & PCC), various dance studios (Portland, Seattle & New Orleans) as well as DJing cultural events to people of all ages, cultures & nationalities to both coasts of America & places in between. When he is not traveling across the US teaching dance or DJ’ing, Prashant spends time making music with his producer, Jireh.
Take the bright colors and extravagant dance numbers of Bollywood, add the funky beats of disco, and what do you get? Bollywood Disco: an elevation of both art forms!
Disco originated in the West, but Bollywood movies created a uniquely Indian form of disco. Bollywood films and disco are both sometimes seen as being overly flashy, yet it is in Bollywood where disco took on more emotional depth.
In the words of our companies founder, a description of Bollywoodwood Disco;
“Disco, Bollywood-style, is typically high-voltage: metallic flares, dazzling over-sized mirror-balls, smoke machines galore and Technicolor flashing dance floors. Let loose those dancing shoes and boogie down to Bollywood’s glittering disco heyday.”– DJ Prashant
Jimmy Aaja
You may have heard the Bollywood disco song “Jimmy Aaja” before. It was featured in Adam Sandler’s 2008 film You Don’t Mess With the Zohan and covered by MIA in 2007.
The original is so enduring perhaps because it identifies itself with the disco genre just to then break the mold. The instrumental opening of the song clearly identifies it as disco through the simple up-beat rhythm and synthetic sound quality, but the lyrics and emotions with which Rita sings them set the song apart.
Far from a simple dance anthem, this song is a heartfelt entreaty to Jimmy. He must overcome his difficulties through disco dancing.
Iconic Figures in Bollywood Disco
Bappi Lahiri was the musician responsible for Disco Dancer‘s soundtrack. His work is also included on ten of the twelve best Bollywood Disco soundtracks curated by DJ Brother Cleve. Other greats of the era include Usha Uthup, Mithun, RD Burman, Biddu, and Nazia Hassan. Biddu had previously been a successful disco pioneer in the Western world. He and Nazia Hassan are credited with bringing disco to South Asia.
More recently the 2012 Bollywood movie Student of the Year brought back the quintessential Bollywood disco song Disco Deewane:
Below you can see Nazia Hassan’s original Disco Deewane, which was one of the first ever Bollywood disco songs.
You Can Disco Too!
If “Disco Deewane” and “Jimmy Aaja” make you want to get your funk on, I have good news for you. You won’t need a time machine to rock the Bollywood Disco because we’re bringing the party to you!
Jai Ho! Dance party has brought an annual dose of Bollywood disco to Portland and Seattle for five years now. This year the party comes to San Francisco as well. There will be a Costume Contest to determine the Disco King & Disco Queen at each event. So don your sequins, bell bottoms and disco finest for an unforgettable night under the disco ball!
The purpose of my research is to shed light on the growing popularity of Bollywood in Washington and Oregon states. My research draws on phone, e-mail, and in person interviews with collegiate level Bollywood dancers and a Bollywood DJ/teacher. In addition to this material, I participated in a Bollywood practicum and viewed two University of Washington Kahaani team practices. Through my research, I come to the conclusion that Bollywood serves multiple purposes to people across ethnographic lines. First, Bollywood appeals to Washington and Oregonian residents for the same reason it is so popular in India. The singing, the dancing, the colors, and the costumes display a relentless joie de vivre. Through this display of exuberance, Bollywood becomes a source of escapism. Bollywood offers participants a creative outlet to “escape” the hectic bustle of their daily lives. In addition, Bollywood connects Indian Americans with their roots by exemplifying an Indian way of life. One participant indicated that Bollywood helped him overcome negative body issues. Finally, participation in Bollywood creates a community where people of shared ethnic heritage and shared creative interests, can meet and perform together.
Introduction
Bollywood, the highly popular Hindi film industry originating in Mumbai, India, produces approximately one thousand to fifteen hundred films a year, nearly twice the amount produced in Hollywood. In recent decades, the prolific popularity of Bollywood has expanded beyond India’s borders into many other areas, including the northwestern regions of the United
States. Census data indicates that both in the United States as a whole, and in Washington State,
Asian Indian immigration has increased faster than any other Asian demographic.[1] In Bellevue, a technological center of Washington State, the Asian population has increased by 28 percent from 2000 to 2010. About 40% of Bellevue’s population consists of a minority group, with the Asian
Indian group increasing the fastest since 1990.[2]
In turn, the sharing of Indian traditions like Bollywood has grown dramatically. This is demonstrated by the growing interest of Washington and Oregon residents to take up Bollywood dance lessons or become involved in Bollywood dance clubs. Bollywood dancing is recognizable for its upbeat rhythms, energetic sequences, and fusion of different dance styles. According to Prashant Kakad, a Portland based DJ, singer, dancer and Bollywood teacher, Bollywood “is a really amorphous dance…. there is not one particular thing that you can call Bollywood. It can look like hip hop, Latin dance, it can look like [traditional Indian dances] Bharatanatyam and Kathak.”[3]
Practitioners of Bollywood dance come from all walks of life. Many of the participants are of Indian descent, who self-identify as either Indians or Indian Americans. Some participants identify as Caucasians or African Americans. Men and women, from young adults to sexagenarians participate in Bollywood classes. Through my research, I argue that this surge in popularity can be attributed to three factors of Bollywood: the exaggerated and joyful elements of the song and dance, the ability to escape through a creative outlet, and the creation of community whose members may share ethnic roots or creative impulses.
The Exuberance of Bollywood
For this research project, my main source of Bollywood expertise was Prashant Kakad.
Born in India, he has always been immersed in Bollywood song and dance. In fact, he tells the story of watching forty to fifty Hindi films by the time he was six months old. He later moved to the United States to attend Cornell University. There he found the Indian Student Association and became involved in Bollywood in the United States. At parties, women would ask Prashant to teach them and their kids how to dance. He soon began to teach more and more people and this naturally led to his career as a Bollywood teacher.
During Prashant’s TED talk, he offers some insights into why Bollywood is so popular around the globe. He explains that Bollywood is visually appealing. The films use vibrant colors in the costumes and sets. Production teams spend excessively on item numbers, the fantasy song and dance scene which is usually untethered to the plot of the film. The costumes, lighting, and sets are extremely elaborate and there are usually many extras who add to the flashiness of the dance scene. When I attended the University of Washington Kahaani, the university’s Bollywood dance team, I noticed immediately the vibrancy of the costumes. Each costume was ornate and decorated with shimmering gold or silver needlework. The female dancers paired orange and pink crop tops with sheer, black bottoms. Beneath this layer, they wore an elaborate gold crop top emblazoned with gold jewels. The men wore silver vests and a pair of billowing white pants.
These item numbers are extremely important to the success of a Bollywood film. The music is often released prior to the film’s release and how well a song is received generally demonstrates how well the film will do at the box office. The music and dance also add to the accessibility of Bollywood because viewers can use the film’s music and create original choreography or re-work the moves they saw on screen. For Vivia, a member of the University of Washington Kahaani team, the accessibility of Bollywood song and dance allows her to create her own original choreography. She uses these popular Hindi movie songs, as well as pop songs by Beyoncé and Justin Bieber and creates her own material.[4]
Bollywood also ebbs and flows with the current trends. Bollywood is a fusion dance and draws on classical Indian dance forms, like Bharatanatyam and Kathak. However throughout the decades, Bollywood has evolved to mold to popular culture. In the 1980’s, Bollywood began to incorporate disco moves. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, with the establishment of MTV, hip hop styles were added.[5] To Sahana, a UW Kahaani member, Bollywood “helps” keep her up to date “with pop culture, you know all the songs and fashion.”[6] In addition, Bollywood films often use “Hinglish” to attract both English speaking and Hindi speaking audiences.[7] For example, the item number song “Sheila Ki Jawani” combines English and Hindi in the lyrics: “My name is
Sheila, Sheila ki Jawani – I’m too sexy for you – Main tere haath na aani [I won’t fall into your hands].” With a fusion of languages and movement qualities, Bollywood appeals to the masses.
Escaping the Stresses of Student and Working Life
A by-product of the larger-than-life characteristics of Bollywood is that the films and dances become a medium by which people can express themselves and escape their own lives for a moment. For many of the UW Kahaani team members I interviewed, they participated in
Bollywood because it is “a way to express joy.”[8] During one of their practice sessions, the
Kahaani team was rehearsing their ten-minute story telling piece. The story revolved around a con man finding love. A male-female duet played the leads, while the rest of the ensemble danced behind. The women danced seductively, initiating movements from their hips and whipping their hair over their shoulders, to portray the love interests. The men embodied the con artists, who circled the women with deep lunges. Gender roles are clearly delineated in the choreography. While some may criticize the ways in which gender is so deliberately assigned, the Kahaani members did not voice any negative opinions about acting in these stereotypical gender roles.
The majority of Kahaani members interviewed also explained that participation in
Bollywood helped relieve some of the stress of college life. To Alexandra, Sahana and Anisha, all members of UW Kahaani, the dynamic exercise and community building helps create an open atmosphere where they can relax from stresses of daily life, although they note that competing can become an additional form of stress. For Sahana, participation “is a nice break to hang out.”[9]
Likewise, Prashant, who is in his early thirties, believes that participating in Bollywood offers respite for those with busy work schedules. “Many people tend to get busy with life,” in their “thirties and forties and fifties”[10] both in India and the United States, and participation in
Bollywood dance allows practitioners to relax and let loose.
Bollywood is also accessible to all through the movie platform, which does not discriminate based on class or status. Bollywood films tell stories that transcend socioeconomic barriers and religious differences. The dance scenes celebrate life, love, and happiness. With the larger-than-life elements of Bollywood dance and film, Prashant believes that audiences “vicariously live through” the “relatable characters.”[11] Furthermore, the appeal to pathos is exemplified through the quintessential Bollywood happy ending. Vivia explained that “98%” of
Bollywood films tell a love story and “99%” end with a happy ending.[12] By and large, many movie goers in India and around the world who look to Bollywood for a source of escape from their daily lives and who live vicariously through the characters’ experiences, desire and expect a happy Bollywood ending.
My research into Bollywood as a method of escapism led me to an unexpected finding.
Although this point of view was only mentioned by one interviewee, I think it is worth mentioning. Prashant shared with my through our phone interview that participation in
Bollywood dance helped him lose excess weight. He continues to struggle with negative body image issues. However, Bollywood helps him cope and respect his body through a unique method of escapism:
TH: Has participation in Bollywood helped you resolve these negative body image issues?
PK: Yeah. In fact I was just teaching at a yoga festival on Saturday and I told a student that there was one particular move that involved appreciating your own body… I am able to appreciate my body for what it is, how it is, and fully celebrate and invite people to do that. But I still do struggle with these image issues… It’s almost like I can make believe or make become someone who is not affected by these things. You know? And so in that way… I sincerely believe that even now it’s helping me cope with some of those things. [13]
With the greater accessibility of Bollywood, many practitioners worry that the dance form is becoming “kitsch.”[14] When someone who is not particularly knowledgeable about Bollywood dance views the colors and specific gender roles, they may be tempted to believe that these characteristics describe India. They may believe that Bollywood is representative of an “exotic” or “timeless” India. The more experienced Bollywood dancers I interviewed expressed that Bollywood is not entirely representative of India but it does offer vestiges into their cultures and traditions. Especially, with the addition of modern hip hop styles, Bollywood has veered from its traditional roots. The Kahaani team embraces these new styles while maintaining traditional Indian styles in their choreography. I will describe the ways in which Bollywood ties Prashant and the Kahaani members to India and to a community in the next section.
Creating a Community
The University of Washington Kahaani Team’s promotional video on YouTube highlights different elements Bollywood offers to its members: passion, energy, community, travel, and family.[15] When I interviewed members of UW Kahaani and watched practice, I found that community and family were vital to its success. The team collaborated openly as they created formations and step sequences. Each of the Indian American Kahaani interviewees expressed that being a part of the collegiate team also meant being part of a community of ethnic commonalities where, Anisha points out, “[we] discuss Bollywood movies and songs. I had nobody to do that with [prior to joining the team].”[16] For Sahana, being a part of the team means that “it helps relate with culture,” the pop culture, the newest dance moves and songs.[17]
Similarly, Prashant asserts that the practice of Bollywood dance connects him with his ethnic heritage. He believes that many people across the world who are of Indian heritage become “disconnected” with traditions and festivals, like Diwali, the festival of lights. “Through my work now, I absolutely get to cherish and enjoy these memories and festivals. And I think an even bigger joy is I get to produce them, I get to share them with people and also enjoy them myself.”[18] Bollywood seems to have nostalgic underpinnings.
The UW Kahaani Team is composed of 13 Indian American women, 3 Indian American men, and two Caucasian women. While the Indian-Americans expressed a connection with their ethnic backgrounds and connection with India despite geographical distance, one Caucasian interviewee believed that participation in Bollywood fostered an appreciation and respect for
Indian cultures and traditions. Alexandra became interested in Indian culture through the
International High School in Kirkland, WA and joined UW Kahaani as a way to further her study. She believes that the Kahaani team feels like family because each member has a vested interest in sharing Indian culture to Pacific Northwest, and even United States, audiences. The team has competed across the country and even performed a flash mob, where they shared the joy of Bollywood to the public. For Alexandra, participation also means that she has the opportunity to learn about Indian holidays, like Holi, a springtime festival of colors.[19]
Bollywood films and dances also seem to foster religious and ethnic diversity. Bollywood actors are religiously diverse. Shah Rukh Khan, the highest grossing and arguably the most popular Hindi film star considers himself a Muslim.[20] Nagma, a Muslim-born Hindi film actress, converted to Christianity.[21] In Portland, Prashant’s students come from varied ethnic backgrounds. “I have maybe 20% Indians and 80% people from all over the world that live in the US, like Americans, some of them are Latinos, some of them are Romanian, Middle Eastern, and a lot of Americans [Caucasians].”[22] Prashant has purposefully chosen to cater to this non-Indian crowd by hosting his classes on the side of Portland where not many Indians reside. He attempts to encourage multiculturalism and understanding through these classes.
Indeed, during the Bollywood practicum when I was first introduced to DJ Prashant, I could clearly see why one, regardless of ethnic identity, age or gender, would be drawn to the sights and sounds of Bollywood. DJ Prashant encouraged us with unabashed energy, calling out the “disco” step or the hip-hop “sprinkler” move. The class followed in unison, each of us completely enthralled in catching the next step and staying in time with the party-inducing beats of “Jai ho.” Each of us was exhausted, but we persisted with a relentless, contagious energy. We were captivated by the pure joy of the movement. Sometimes, I would get off the beat or forget the sequence of steps. But it didn’t matter. If all else failed, DJ Prashant would remind us “Indian head shake, big smile, can’t lose!”
Works Cited
Joseph, Anthony. “Popular South Indian actress Nagma embraces Christianity; wants to spread
Gospel.” Accessed March 2, 2016. http://www.christiantoday.co.in/article/popular.
“What is Bollywood?” Rhythm India. Accessed March 2, 2016. http://www.rhythm-india.com/
bollywood-dance.html.
[1] Richard Springer, “Census: Asian-Indian Population Explodes across U.S,” New American Media, accessed February 29, 2016, http://newamericamedia.org/2011/05/census- asian-indian-population- explodes-across-us.php.
[10] Prashant, interview with author, February 29, 2016.
[11] Prashant, interview with author, February 29, 2016.
[12] Vivia, interview with author, January 21, 2016.
[13] Prashant Kakad, interview with author, February 29, 2016.
[14] Sangita Shresthova. “More Indian than India? Bollywood Dance in Los Angeles.” Is It All About Hips?: Around the World with Bollywood Dance. New Delhi: Sage, 2011, 134.
[16] Anisha, interview with author, March 4, 2016.
[17] Sahana, interview with author, March 4, 2016.
[18] Prashant, interview with author, February 29, 2016.
[19] Alexandra, interview with author, March 4, 2016.
[20] “The Religion and Political Views of Shah Rukh Khan,” The Hollowverse, accessed March 2, 2016, http://hollowverse.com/shahrukh-khan/.
[21] Anthony Joseph, “Popular South Indian actress Nagma embraces Christianity; wants to spread gospel,” accessed March 2, 2016, http://www.christiantoday.co.in/article/popular. south.indian.actress.nagma.embraces.christianity.wants.to.spread.gospel/2692.htm.
[22] Prashant, interview with author, February 29, 2016.
I invite you to dress Bollywood style to celebrate 6 years of non-stop dancing up a storm at Jai Ho! dance party. This magical night will feature Violinder (SF), Justina (LED Hula), FREE Chai, Dirty Chai (drink specials), Chaat-N-Roll (snacks for sale), Henna (by donation), dance lesson, performances by Jai Ho! dance troupe & of course party all night with yours truly. Rio Rios will be capturing the night.
So You Think You Can Dress Bollywood:
To make the night extra spicy, we will be hosting a Bollywood Costume Contest & giveaway two prizes for the Bollywood Raja (King) & the Bollywood Raani (Queen).
$50 Gift Certificate to delicious food at Desi PDX food cart
Want to plan ahead? Visit Indian Marketplace & Ethnic Chic San Diego to order your next Indian outfit online. Don’t worry, we will give you plenty of opportunities to dress up & party!
Whatever you do, don’t let your creativity be limited by the images you see below. These are just to get you started on the journey to discover your inner Bollywood Raani (Queen) or Raja (King). Off you go.
So what exactly does it mean to “Dress Bollywood”?
Is it a costume one can buy at a generic online store?
Bollywood Dance – Creating a new kind of club culture, where the east meets the west
Bollywood Dance is all the rage in Portland and Seattle thanks to DJ Prashant. Check out DJ Prashant featured on Portland and Seattle news station KING5 TV below or view on YouTube.
Bollywood Dance Bollywood Dance Bollywood Dance Bollywood Dance
Bhangra music – and dancing – is getting big in Portland
For millions of Americans, their first exposure to bhangra and Bollywood music was that exhilarating dance number at the end of “Slumdog Millionaire.”
And the fist-pumping hook of that chorus to A.R. Rahman’s Oscar-winning song,
“Jai Ho.”
Turns out Portlanders took these beats to heart years ago. Portland DJs Anjali and the Incredible Kid have been pulling in 300 folks a night for their Indian-fueled dance parties, Andaz. At eight years, it’s the longest-running monthly dance party in Portland.
And earlier this year, Mumbai transplant Prashant Kakad launched his “Jai Ho!” dance nights. Now twice monthly, the new parties at Lola’s Room are firing up another wave of appreciation for bhangra and Bollywood in Portland as well.
“I just love it! When he was showing us the dance steps I didn’t want to him to stop,” says Trish Kirchhoff, 52, who attended a recent “Jai Ho!” party for the first time with a few dance-curious girlfriends.
Kakad, who is DJ, emcee, dance instructor and sometimes singer at Jai Ho!, is the founder of Bollywood Dreams Entertainment, which produces the parties. Bollywood Dreams also brought top Indian soundtrack remixer DJ Suketu to the Roseland Theater this past spring. Tonight, India’s DJ Akbar Sami makes his Portland debut at Jai Ho!
Kakad’s own story sounds like something conjured up by Bollywood or Hollywood screenwriters. Think a Hindi “Flashdance” or “Step Up.”
Picture a kid growing up in Mumbai who loves singing and dancing, and even wins an Indian talent competition at age 12. He remains a “good middle Indian child” (Kakad’s own words), heads to the U.S., graduates with his master in chemical engineering from Cornell University, invents and patents an engineering device he describes as a “pregnancy test for bacteria” and lands a job at Intel.
But during all this time there’s a second life, hosting parties, DJing, teaching Indian dance classes and dreaming of becoming a Bollywood rock star.
Last summer, after hosting and performing all day at Portland’s India Festival, Kakad said it was time to make the dream a full-time reality. With supportive parents on the other end of the phone in India (“If I had been with them they probably would have said, ‘You have gone out of your mind,'” he says) he quit Intel.
His classes and gigs have been enough to keep him afloat, for which the 27-year-old yells a personal “Jai Ho!” (in Hindi, the phrase means “be victorious”).
“To survive and be as busy as I am in a foreign country?” Kakad says, astounded. “This was victory for anyone who thought of the crazy idea of quitting a job and doing something they love.”
It may be perfect timing for Kakad to bet on bhangra — and Portland.
Large turnout
Around 200 regulars have been showing up every second and fourth Saturday to his Lola’s Room parties. And 800 turned out to dance to the spins of DJ Suketu.
“This was the most people he pulled in on his tour in the U.S.,” Kakad says — a that tour included New York City and Dallas, cities with larger Indian American populations.
So what kind of music are we talking about exactly?
“Bhangra’s been a sort of catch-all term for all Indian music,” says Stephen Strausbaugh, half of the team of the Incredible Kid and DJ Anjali (Anju Hursh), purveyors of Indian dance music in Portland for a decade.
But it’s actually folk music of northern India, tipped off by Punjabi vocals and specific, percussive beats.
Bollywood refers to the soundtracks or music from the 800-plus films produced in each year Bollywood (Mumbai). The soundtracks can feature a variety of genres. Think of American movie or TV soundtracks, which usually include a love song, a sad song, a dance song. Bollywood lyrics are usually sung in Hindi.
The song “Jai Ho,” since it wasn’t produced in India, you might dub “Bollywood-eqsue,” Strausbaugh says.
Along with Andaz, Strausbaugh, 38, and Hursh, 37, (who is half-Indian) also host a weekly radio show on KBOO dedicated to Indian beats. The pair has been closely tracking the progress of bhangra and Bollywood into mainstream American music and culture. They never had doubts it would hit big.
Genres cross over
“I feel like Bollywood has done a better job of crossing over then bhangra,” Hursh says. “Because Bollywood is pushing its way into L.A.”
And vise versa. English-language pop stars from Kylie Minogue to Snoop Dogg have been popping up in Bollywood films and cutting tracks for the soundtracks.
“‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ which wasn’t even a Bollywood film, kind of really reached out farther than an all-Indian production could have,” Strausbaugh says. “They have their dance scene at the end, which is kind of a wink-wink tribute to Bollywood, and that was a lot easier, I think, for America to digest than a full-on Bollywood film.”
“Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” featuring vocals from Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger nearly cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles. But Hursh and Strausbaugh are quick to highlight other crossover milestones, such as U.S. singer Truth Hurts’ 2002 top 10 hit “Addictive,” which sampled the Bollywood song “Thoda Resham Lagta Hai,” and Jay-Z’s hit remix of Panjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke” in 2003. M.I.A. borrowed extensively from Indian musical culture for her 2007 album “Kala.”
“I think that (Jay-Z’s hit) was more exciting to us than all the attention ‘Slumdog’ got,” Hursh says. “We were like, ‘I can’t believe this is on 95.5!'”
Film venue
They’re also excited by recent cross-cultural milestones closer to home, including the revamped programming of the Joy Cinema in Tigard, which began showing Bollywood films this spring.
“It’s kind of big for Portland,” Hursh says. “And forever it was a little pipe dream I had that Portland would have its own Bollywood theater.”
Last summer, she was hired to DJ a non-Indian wedding for the first time. “They just wanted me to do my thing,” she says. They credit the open-mindedness and beat-hungry feet of Portlanders for Andaz’s eight-year marathon.
“The loyalty from the South Asian community really goes up and down. Sometimes the night will be 50 percent brown — and that’s awesome,” Hursh says. “But sometimes we’ll look out and just see five desis (Indians) I know. But I think Portland is so unique in so many ways.”
“Now, especially with ‘Slumdog,’ people are getting a taste of Indian culture,” noted attendee Paymon Hossini, 27, during Andaz’s recent anniversary party at Rotture. “And when they come here and feel the music, and dance, they can feel what it’s really all about.”
Originally published on The Oregonian by Lee Williams
