A glance at the History of “The Bilz and Kashif”

Having the same vision in mind “Bringing South Asian Music Artists, into mainstream level” “The Bilz and Kashif” have shown that they’ve got what it takes to be at the top. The trio, Vicious, Master D and Kashif have come a long way and have taken Urban Desi music to a next level. They faced many difficulties trying to air their first single ‘2 Step Bhangra’ on mainstream radio in Canada because they are  South Asian artists, but who thought they would get a call to air their song on  radio which would airacross Canada.

The Bilz and Kashif are one of the most successful independent artists in Canada. This week, their album “Breaking Barriers” released, it charted #6 on iTunes UK charts; one of the tracks “On The Dancefloor “ has had 13,000 views only in 1.5 days. Furthermore,views went over 100,000 on YouTube and it ranked #2 on Top 10 charts in Vancouver, Canada. Now thatwe have covered their achievements, let’s have a look at their album. Each and every track highlights their different styles and shows their versatility.

Bluebandmusiq reviews on the tracks:

1.   “On The Dancefloor”

Have you ever felt stressed out after a long week of work and need a break???? If so, this track is for you. This track is a club banger, it has great smooth vocals by Kashif, DJ Vicious makes a magical atmosphere of club music and Master D contributes with his Punjabi touch.

2.   “Against All Odds”

This is the second track of “Breaking Barriers”, and then we get to hear high pumping beats from DJ Vicious and classic inspirational vocals from Master D and Kashif. This song highlights the struggles one faces during his/her life span and how they should overcome them by working hard to achieve their dreams. This song is filled with enthusiasm, encouragement and motivation. This track can be found on their official YouTube channel, in which the trio portray a scenario of how music artists, like themselves struggle and keep working hard.

3.   “2 Step Bhangra”

This was the track that got “The Bilz and Kashif” in the game, their first song. After hearing this song on mainstream radio in Canada, desi and non-desi’s took recognition and reviews had sky rocketing. This track is an excellent desi club track. DJ Vicious shows us his magic on the turntables, Kashif displays his urban influenced vocals and Master D with his Punjabi mixture. They have beautifully mixed all the ingredients to make a perfect track. This track is an awesome piece of music, in which, the talents of each member outshines amazingly.

4.   “Rags 2 Riche$”

Along with the trio, this hip-hop track features  US rapper Lil Flip ,.Kashif, Master D and DJ Vicious outshines beyond comparison.

Prior to leaving this page, I would like to ask you guys a question. Give the answer in the comment box. What does Bilz stand for in “The Bilz and Kashif”??

Till then enjoy listening to their tracks from “Breaking Barriers” and download it legally…

By Piyush Bassi

Check out some pics below from their Album release party !!

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Rihanna is a Barbados native who has sold over 12 million records worldwide within her four-year career.

After a much publicized domestic violence case with R&B singer Chris Brown, Rihanna released her fourth album “Rated – R” on November 20, 2009. The album includes collaborations with Justin Timberlake, will.i.am, Yung Jeezy and Slash. Producers involved on this album are Justin Timberlake, will.i.am and Ne-Yo.

BlueBand Musiq’s Top 3 Picks:

1. Russian Roulette Produced by Chuck Harmony

This was her first single off the album and became #9 on the Billboard 100 within two weeks of its release. The song is an icy slow-tempo ballad with Rihanna belting her vocal cords. It turns the gripping deadly game into a depressing moment where she waits for her death.

2. Hard featuring Young Jeezy Produced by Tricky Stewart and The Dream

The second single released off the album has peaked at #19 on the Billboard 100. This song is more upbeat and edgy. You can almost hear the old Rihanna coming through except with a lot more attitude. The song is catchy and gives listeners something to sing along to.

3. Photographs featuring will.i.am Produced by will.i.am

This might be one of the best songs on the album. The song is about reminiscing about an old love, which anyone can relate to. The song is upbeat, simple and leaves you humming the words.

Overall, I believe it’s a mediocre job for someone as talented as Rihanna. Being a fan myself, I believe she should not have twisted her image so quickly. Going from singing upbeat dance songs like “Don’t Stop the Music” to talking about death and being “Hard”? I feel the transition could have been smoother. It seems that she’s trying to be obvious about how much she’s “changed” or “grown” since the incident. Regardless, there are a few good songs on the album just not what I hoped.

BlueBand Musiq Rating:  UUU

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Raghav is an Indo-Canadian artist born in Calgary, Alberta. His first album Storyteller sold 1.6   million copies worldwide. Identity is Raghav’s second album.

Identity is an upbeat dance album with a mix of Hindi and urban desi songs. This album is so diverse in sound; anyone who likes good music with good beats will definitely enjoy listening to it.

BlueBand Musiq’s Top 3 Picks:

1.   My Kinda Girl Featuring Redman

This was the first single released off Raghav’s second album. It was originally released worldwide as a download on his website. The song is in collaboration with US artist Redman and has a hip hop R&B feel to it. Raghav still keeps to his original style of good easy to move to beats.

2.   Humrahee

The second single to be released is a soft low tempo Hindi song. Raghav’s soothing voice blends well with the flutes and guitars in the background of this song. The sweet mellow track sounds almost like it’s from a Bollywood movie but still makes you want to listen to it.

3.   Once Featuring Iceberg Slimm

This song is one of the best tracks on the album in my opinion. It’s exciting upbeat and most importantly very easy to dance to. Mixed with a bit of Indian flavour, Raghav’s lyrics make you want to sing out loud with him.

After a four-year break, Raghav comes back strong with collaborations with Redman and Iceberg Slimm. This album has upbeat tracks like Once, My Kinda Girl and Jaadugar. And melodious songs like Humrahee, Naino Waali and Angelina. Even though he didn’t go above and beyond what was expected, I still give him credit for delivering good fun songs.

BlueBand Musiq rating:  UUU1/2

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Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City, Gaga worked as a songwriter at Interscope Records until she was discovered by Akon and signed to his own label Kon Live Distribution.

The Fame Monster was released on November 18^th, 2009 and is Lady Gaga’s second album. The entire album is written by Gaga herself. The album features a collaboration with Beyonce as well. Lady Gaga has been pinned “the new Madonna” and has been taking the music industry by storm with her quirky sense of style and down to earth attitude.

BlueBand Musiq’s Top 3 Picks:

1. Bad Romance Produced by RedOne

This song was the first single to be released off her album. It peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 on Billboard. It’s a catchy dance number that talks about exploring the joys of a bad romance while referencing Alfred Hitchcock films in some of the verses. Some critics claim that it has a similar tempo to her popular song “Poker Face”

2. Telephone featuring Beyonce Produced by DarkChild

This song is another appealing fast-paced track that makes the listener wants to sing and dance along. It peaked at #30 on the Hot 100 on the Billboard chart and features Beyonce. Gaga claims that this song is about her fear of suffocation.

3. Speechless Produced by Lady Gaga

Speechless is a slow 70’s rock ballad she wrote on tour and dedicated to her ill father who underwent open-heart surgery. The song was released as the third release and debuted on the Hot 100 at #94. It received mixed reviews from critics claiming Gaga doesn’t have a soft side and comes off as a “fraud”.

I enjoy this album as much as I enjoyed the first one. I believe critics are right when they say it is not much different from the first; but it’s the style of music Lady Gaga is known for. I love her slow rock ballads and the upbeat dance tracks. I sing out loud to all her songs whenever I hear them. Both her music and her style are fresh and unique which I think have helped her become so successful today.

BlueBand Musiq Rating: UUUU

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Roach Killa’s Debut Album “The Revolution” released in September 09 by MovieBox UK peaked at No.6 on the ITUNES World Charts. His 1st Single Yaara Dildara feat Shahid Ali Khan reached No.1 on the BBC ASIAN NETWORK Charts. The video is currently on heavy rotation on all the major Global Channels B4U, SONY Ent Television, Zee TV, Brit Asia UK Roach Killa’s been touring Europe, Asia and Middleast promoting his music and has created a massive fan base around the world. His songs have been playlisted on all the commercial radio stations across Europe.

This album caters to the new age Desi’s around the world. It has a urban desi flavour that is a mix of the western and eastern genres of music. This album demonstrates Roach Killa’s ability as a well rounded artist with different tones from reggae, rap and South Asian influences.  The collaborations on this album show his diverse ability in different genres of music appealing to a broader audience.

BlueBand Musiq’s Top 3 picks:

1. Yaara Dildara

This is the first single off the album and has gotten much recognition. This song was No. 1 on the BBC Asian Network Charts. This song features the melodious voice of Shahid Ali Khan. This track is a fusion of traditional sounds from Shahid Ali Khan and urban vibes from Roach Killa; put together to tell a story about a love lost.  It draws you in emotionally to the song. You can find the video to this song at roachkilla.com.

2.  Revolution

If you like conscious reggae, this is the track for you. This song talks about real issues that young people face in society and the hardship of the ghetto.  This song shows you the true reggae side of Roach Killa.

3.  Killin ‘Em Feat. Maria Marcial and Skelitor

This song is a upbeat dance song. The collaborations on this track bring different flavors of music from RnB, Rap to Reggae. You can find the music video for this song on Much Music’s website. It’s has potential to be the next hot club anthem.

Over all the part I enjoy most about this album is his lyrical content. It’s very real and raw and draws you into his music because it’s easy to relate to. This album shows you that he is a very diverse artist with different tones. Its keeps you excited because you don’t know if the next song will be a Hindi mix, rap or conscious reggae. The only constructive criticism I have to offer is the album cover does not reflect the album. This is a great album to pop into your player on a weekend and you can jam to the whole album without feeling that it’s repetitive.

Blueband Musiq Rating: UUUU

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Parichay has been in the music industry for the past 10 years. He has gone from doing underground Bollywood to urban desi to doing over 300 performances. When he was 12 years old, he won the most popular singing competition in India called ‘Antakshari’.

Parichay’s debut album No Boundaries has gotten critical acclaim worldwide. His R&B style mixed with Hindi lyrics makes him different from many of the South Asian artists out there. The lyrics are sweet and catchy. Most of the songs have R&B sounds with some Pop and Hindi classical mixed in. The album can definitely be played from beginning to end.

BlueBand Musiq’s Top 3 Picks:

1.  Deewana Tera (She Makes Me Crazy) featuring Roach Killa & Blitzkrieg

This song was introduced as Parichay’s first single. It starts off with an exciting reggae beat and mixes in an energetic sound. Roach Killa adds his reggae feel and Blitzkrieg with his killer verses make this song extremely easy to move along to. Deewana Tera was a perfect choice as a first single.

2.  Kasam Se (I Swear) Featuring Joe Louis

This addictive song gets right into the flow with a smooth beat. Add a little flavor with Joe Louis rapping and you’ve got a second hit off this album. This love ballad is easy to sing along to and really shows off Parichay’s vocal skills.

3.  Tere Bin (Without You) Featuring Blitzkrieg

Here’s another song featuring Blitzkrieg. Another sad love song with a really good beat and once again makes you want to sing along. Parichay really outdoes himself with the choice of lyrics and beats and putting together another great song.

Overall, I think this a really great debut album for Parichay. I could listen to this album from start to finish and sing along to most of the songs. “Help Me to Shine” is probably one of the weakest tracks on the album. I like how Parichay experimented with different sounds and instruments. The beats flow together nicely and make you want to move. I will definitely be looking forward to his second album

Blue Band Musiq Rating: UUUU

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I came across this article and after reading it I looked up the song Street of Bollywood 3 record. Check it out. Let me know what you think. I love his voice it’s so intoxicating!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoEqXCEBiyw

MUMZY STRANGER TRACKS FEATURE ON BOLLYWOOD ALBUM

25-year-old urban desi artist Mumzy Stranger has been making considerable progress in his career this year after releasing his own solo material, as well as collaborating with other artists. Now the aspiring star from East London is hoping to make waves in the world of Bollywood after two of his tracks were chosen to feature on The Streets of Bollywood 3 record.

Rishi Rich has long championed the work of Mumzy Stranger and has been an important influence in his career so far. Not surprisingly Rishi Rich has produced the two tracks for the Bollywood album namely, It Can Only Be Love, and City Guy. It seems that first single is already proving popular with the music loving public with It Can Only Be Love already appearing in the charts.

Earlier this year Mumzy invited up and coming bhangra star H-Dhami to collaborate on his debut single, One More Dance, which was produced again by Rishi Rich and went on to establish him as a top new act.

Now Mumzy Stranger is hoping to build on his strong start in the music industry, and getting featured on an album such as The Streets of Bollywood 3 is a great way of opening Mumzy up to a whole new audience and further raising his profile.

Source : Tanisha Kapoor, bhangra.org. 12.15.09

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AMI

Despite being a relative newcomer on the Bhangra music scene, Jaz Dhami has wasted no time in establishing himself as a musical tour-de-force. Having undergone intense musical training in both India and in the U.K, winning a place at the esteemed Paul McCartney School of Music, Jaz has spent years honing his skills and is now an incredibly accomplished musician.

Jaz made his first appearance on Aman Hayer’s album Groundshaker 2. He has since gone on to release his own a solo album, entitled Jaz Dhami, which was a runaway success; the album features in the top 10 list of the iTunes Store World Section. His emotional love songs which tug at the heart strings have ensured music fans across the U.K and India are aware of this budding superstar.

As a U.K based artist who has trained in India, Jaz approaches music from a unique standpoint. He is able to incorporate traditional Punjabi sounds including the dhol into his work, along with more modern western beats. His long term goal is to become a playback singer and to get involved in the Bollywood industry. Jaz’s uncle is a musical director for Bollywood movies so the ambitious singer is already making headway in this direction.

With a growing international fan base and an army of female admirers, Jaz is becoming a very familiar face in the Bhangra music business. He’s already won a host of awards including best newcomer as the Asian Music Awards in 2009 and if the hype is anything to go by, this talented Bhangra star has many more coming his way.

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