Toppa Top 10: Diwali Rhythms!

Words by Eddie STATS Houghton and Rishi Bonneville

That’s right. We are hitting you with a one-two Indo-Caribbean combination of boomshots, in recognition of the fact that today millions (billions?) of people worldwide are commemorating the hindu festival of lights called Diwali or Deepavali, an officially recognized holiday in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, Myanmar, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia and Fiji. So get your house in order, raise a diya (or lighter) and run through the following selection of tunes that connect West Indians with their namesakes on the Indian subcontinent.

10. Tigerstyle, “Mirale La Bien” refix (Machete Music)

Somehow Scottish Punjabis Pops and Raj of production duo Tigerstyle talked themselves into a deal with Daddy Yankee’s Machete music, which resulted in this remix as well as incredibly tough bhangra reworks of “Rakata” and “El Tiburon.”

9. Daddy Yankee f. Deevani, “Mirame” Mas Flow Machete Music 2006 (Puerto Rico)

Married to a Bangladeshi, multi-lingual Puerto Rican diva Deevani also just happens to be sister to reggaeton producer Luny Tunes. Hence, Bollytone! See also her hook on “Flow Natural” and the brand new chutney merengue smash with Fuego that is probably playing on La Mega right now. The original of “Mirame,” BTW is the Kareena Kapoor vehicle “Yaadein”:

8.  Rama f. Cheshire Cat, “Mera Laung Guwacha” Oriental Star, 1992, (UK, Prod. by Bally Sagoo)

This Shabba/Gussie Clarke-style workout of a Punjabi folk classic (complete with dub version) rewrote the rules of bhangra even before Sly & Robbie had checked for it. Sagoo’s “Raga Muffin Mix” is no joke either:

7.  Rihanna, “Pon De Replay” Def Jam, 2005 (Barbados/Jamaica/India)

No, Bajan Idol Rihanna didn’t rip off a Bollywood track–she ripped off Lenky! Some say the beat of “Pon De Replay” is inspired by the Diwali but it sounds much closer to Lenky’s lesser-known follow-up, the Masterpiece riddim most recognizable as Sean Paul’s “Ever Blazin.” The reason that it’s included here is because it in turn spawned this Bollywood smash from the film Bluffmaster, proving that turnabout is fair um, replay:

6. Hunter, “Bring It” aka “Rum in the Morning” (Trinidad)

This ubiquitous chutney jam is actually a flip (see, I didn’t say ‘inspired’) of “Chahoonga Main Tujhe” as sung by Bollywood legend Mohammed Rafi:

5.  Apache Indian, “Chok There” No Reservations Island records 1993 (UK)

Inspired (going to say ‘inspired’ a lot in this post, just bear with me) by Capleton’s flow, Sly & Robbie’s riddims and  Supercat’s name (the Wild Apache!), UK Punjabi Steve Kapoor shaved razor lines in his head, dubbed himself Apache Indian and took this brilliant stab at fusing bhangra with dancehall. Not such a stretch considering his hometown of Birmingham is the stomping ground of both UB40 and the king of bhangra, Malkit Singh.

4. Sundar Popo, “Nana & Nani” Windsor records 1970 (Trinidad)

Chutney foundation. The first tune from Indo-Caribbean icon Sundar Popo and arguably the first chutney tune of all time!

3. Lord Shorty, “Shanty Om” Endless Vibrations 1974 (Trinidad)

The dude who actually invented soca, Lord Shorty openly declared it a vehicle for his vision of racial unity between Trinidadians of Indian and African descent–and this anthem is the perfect embodiment. Ironically it was banned briefly in Trinidad under pressure from Indian religious groups who objected to the Hindu sentiments being treated in a carnival song. Nobody objected to the monster Bollywood hit that followed a few years later, though:

2. Chaka Demus and Pliers, “Murder She Wrote” (Jamaica, prod. by Sly & Robbie)

Originally released in Jamaica as “Reggae Bangara”–an indication of it’s Indian folk roots–this Sly & Robbie riddim defined dancehall in the 90s and beyond and became a global phenomenon in the process. Check a folkish Bollywood track from the same era for comparison!

1. Various Artists, Diwali riddim (Jamaica, prod. by Lenky)

By definition! Inspired by an unnamed Bollywood rhythm, the syncopated handclaps of Jamaican producer Lenky’s signature production launched hits for Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder and Lumidee and a whole mini-wave of Indostyle dancehall beats followed, including the Nine Night, Coolie dance, Hindu Storm and Bollywood riddims. Also allegedly inspired MIA to try her hand at leftfield dancehall beatsand prompted  a UK Punjabi version from Rishi Rich, Juggy D and a then-unknown artist named Jay Sean.

Honorebel mentions: Panjaabi MC f. Beenie Man, “Jyogi” refix, DSNY mixtapes ca. 1997, JMC Triveni, the borough of Queens, Supercat’s whole catalog, Massive Attack for “Karmacoma” and the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan dub mix, Cool Manu Badness–Guyana, we see you!

(Happy Diwali)