Daler Mehndi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Daler Mehndi | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daler Mehndi |
| Born | August 18, 1967 |
| Origin |  , Patiala, Punjab, India |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Dancer, Songwriter |
| Website | http://www.dalermehndi.com |
Daler Mehndi (Punjabi: ਦਲੇਰ ਮਹਿੰਦੀ, dalēr mahindī), born August 18, 1967, is a bhangra/pop singer from India. Mehndi was a student of traditional Punjabi music and his first album broke sales records in India.[1]
Since 1995 he has recorded several highly successful albums in India, and also sung in several Bollywood movies. His international popularity has grown in recent years allowing him to tour the United States.[2]
Mehndi is well known as a philanthropist, funding beautification projects in Delhi and aiding quake victims.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and discovery
As a Sikh, born and raised in Patna, he began singing at age 6 and was taught the ragas and Shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib by his parents.[3] At age fourteen he spent three years refining his voice and learning the tabla, dholak/dhool, harmonium and tanpura from Raahat Ali Khan Saheb.[1][4]
Mehndi married in 1986 and currently has three children.[4] Mehndi then moved to San Francisco, United States and worked as a cab driver before returning to India in 1991 and forming a band.[5][6] Initially he sang ghazals inspired by the poets Qateel Shifai and Firaq Gorakhpuri.[1]
In 1992 he was in a car accident that injured a jaywalking man who Mehndi then took to the hospital. Mehndi was sued as a result of the mishap.[7]
[edit] 1995-2007: Popularity
Mehndi eventually switched from classical music to pop, and in 1995 his first album Bolo Ta Ra Ra, with tunes based on those given to him by his mother,[8] sold half a million copies in four months and 20 million copies total, [3] making him the best selling non-soundtrack album in Indian music history. He received the Award for Voice of Asia International Ethnic and Pop Music Contest in 1994.[9] He earned Channel V's Best Male Pop Singer Award, which he received in 1996 for Dar Di Rab Rab and in 1997 for Ho Jayegi Bale Bale. He has appeared in the films Mrityudata and Arjun Pundit. [1] His success helped him negotiate a record-breaking deal with his record company Magnasound for 20.5 million rupees.[10] He has also been a guest star on the new Indian version of Sesame Street known as Galli Galli Sim Sim.[11]
His album song "Tunak Tunak Tun" is an Internet phenomenon. This cult following was spurred by the music video for Mehndi's song "Tunak Tunak Tun", often referred to simply as "Tunak", which gained its popularity due to Daler Mehndi's wild dancing and has led to many homages and parodies.[12] Mehndi originally conceived of the music video, in which he dances with "clones" of himself, in response to media statements that he was popular only because of the models in his videos. Tunak Tunak Tun was the first music video to make use of bluescreen technology in India.[3] His enduring popularity is reflected by the male Draenei in The Burning Crusade, the official expansion pack to Blizzard Entertainment's award winning MMORPG World of Warcraft, revealed at E3 2006, which appears to be performing Mehndi's "Tunak Tunak Tun" dance.[13] His cult status was further bolstered by the Swedish animutation "Han Teleporterar Taliban" ("he teleports taliban"), based on his song "Jalwa".
[edit] Controversies
Mehndi was accused of being a member of a scam bringing illegal immigrants to Canada by disguising them as musicians, a charge he denies.[14] He was in hiding for a month before he surrendered to police in Patiala and charged with 31 counts of immigration law violations.[15] Punjab police director-general, A. A. Siddiqui, later stated Mehndi was innocent and insinuated that the confusion arose because Daler and his brother, who was the original target of the scandal, looked alike. [16] Mehndi has also commented on the legal troubles of his brother Mika Singh and performer Rakhi Sawant, saying that "party kissing" is an undesirable addition to Indian culture.[17]
An Indian Islamic group called Raza Academy took Mehndi to court over some of the lyrics and the video of his album Nabi Buba Nabi to be offensive.[18] Several of the words were changed, removing references to "prophet".[19]
[edit] Artistry
Daler Mehndi specializes in a type of Punjabi-Pop that he infuses with Rababi singing, a Sikh musical tradition. The sound is similar to that of Techno, dance, and house music, with the folk sounds of an Indian tabla being played in the background. His popularity and the concurrent revival of Bhangra music is thought to be driven by the ease of dancing to it and a national pride in the Indian people.[20]
[edit] Philanthropy and other activities
Mehndi has established the Daler Mehndi Green Drive to help make a cleaner environment in Delhi. He has also donated 85 million rupees to the green drive, 12 million rupees to Cargyle charities, and built 16 houses in Gujarat after an earthquake there.[18] He also did a concert series in Pakistan to raise funds for the quake victims.[21] He has also helped rehabilitate victims of the Orissa cyclone and street children in Kenya.[8]
He is a fan of automobiles, owning a Prado because of the protection it gives against the road rage and "poor discipline on the part of the majority or road users" on Delhi's streets, but hopes to purchase a Hummer "like Jackie Shroff" at some point.[7]
[edit] Discography
- Bolo Ta Ra Ra - 1995
- Dardi Rab Rab - 1996
- Ho Jayegi Balle Balle - 1997
- Tunak Tunak Tun - 1998
- Ek Dana - 2000
- Nach Ni Shaam Kaure - 2002
- Mo Jaan Laen Do - 2003
- Shaa Ra Ra Ra - 2004
- Raula Pai Gaya - 2007
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Peter Popham (April 14, 1999). Sikhs mark 300 years as fighters sect. The Independent. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason (2005). daler mehndi. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.
- ^ a b c Biography - Insight. dalermehndi.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ a b Ad-Lib (2004). The sheer power of his music engulfs you!. Sify. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Ghosh, Swapna (2001). Bhangra Is Back. Asia Week. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Music Profiles: Daler Singh Mehndi. ndtv.com (2003). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ a b Tharyan, P. (December, 2000). Me & My Car: Daler Mehndi. indiacar.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ a b Puri,Amit (July 15, 2002). Green singer, evergreen songs. tribuneindia.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Awards. Daler Mehndi.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Multi-Million Contracts. Daler Mehndi.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Bose talk. The Hindu (May 1, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Harrop, Christopher (March 18, 2004). Bollywood films find place in U.S. venues. Kansas State Collegian. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ KJM (June 6, 2006). World Of Warcraft: Dranei Dance and Blood Elves Boogie Down. MMORPG Blog. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Charles, Eleanor (October 23, 2003). Bollywood stars in migrant scam. Asian Pacific News Service. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Daler Mehndi faces public rage. Sify (October 27, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Bagchi, Shrabonti (October 16, 2004). Return of the King. Telegraph India. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Daler Mehndi slams party kissing. Rustomjee (June 11, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ a b Vedi, Puja (2005). I WANT TO CONQUER UK, AMERICA & CANADA - DALER MEHNDI=. radiosargam.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Avijit, Anshul (May 21, 2001). Well Meaning. india today on the net. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
- ^ Sudhanva Deshpande (July, 2000). Grannie doesn't skip a bhangra beat - once the music of Punjabi peasants, bhangra has been transformed into popular music embraced by Indian youth. UNESCO Courier. Retrieved on 2006-09-03.
- ^ Daler Mehndi wants to organize charity music shows in Pak for quake-affectees. Pakistan Tribune (December 13, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
