Curry Smugglers

There's a typical type of Indo music that I've become accustomed to in Nor-Cal. It's bhangra mixed with hip hop. The classic heart-thumping dhol keeps rhythm as bits of modern songs are carried along in its deliberate wake. It was all I knew--all I expected--from desi musicians.

DJs showcased the same songs at parties; the same remixes were burned onto countless CDs and playlists. All bhangra began to sound the same to me. It was bland.

But then I tasted curry. Hot, spicy, freshly smuggled curry. It was so hot, it made my eyes water and my ears ring.

What was this curry?

It was music.

Not just any music, it was The Curry I had been looking for. It was different, and it was upbeat.

A couple of music-obsessed Indians with a taste for the fresh stuff had smuggled it onto a podcast. 

That podcast is called the 'Curry Smugglers.' They've been running a free hour long show since 2009. There's absolutely no advertising on the show, which is a kick ass change from the AM bhangra station (which is all about aunties trying to sell you flour). It gets better, because the hosts actually know what they're talking about when it comes to music and they love to share. I can say I truly admire their passion and freakishly immense store of musical knowledge. They play a track list of new remixes and songs give loads of background info and end with a 20 minute set by a specific artist or DJ.

So what kind of music do they play? All kinds. They share music that is centered around the subcontinent, but their artists come from all over the world: America, Canada, India, Europe and the Middle East. They've covered old school bhangra, American remixes, Hindi songs and something that could be defined as desi-electro.

If you get a chance check them out at http://www.currysmugglers.com. They post new episodes every Sunday, although season 5 just ended. Hey, that just means you have some time to catch up before season 6 begins. :D

Dhol Di Awaz--Afterparty

My friend and I went to the DDA afterparty last weekend. Aman Hayer headlined. We skipped the competition entirely, our only goal was to dance bhangra with one another. We're silly like that. And willing to pay $25 to do it.

I drove, I got lost on the way. There are two Mission Blvd exits that lead you to the Bay Area. TAKE THE SECOND ONE!

We reached Avalon at 11 something. Stood in line for a good 20 minutes, got frisked by security and manhandled at the bar. Apparently seeing a girl with a drink in her hand makes an Indian guy think she's hump-worthy. Oh how wrong they are. A heavy-handed 'back the fuck off,' kept them in check. I have zero tolerance for drunk people's BS when I'm sober. LOL.

Too self-conscious to bhangra with the rest of the party-goers, we sat in a booth to finish our first drinks. We were the only ones sitting down and were easily spotted by an intoxicated Desi. We found out that he, Sunny, had lost his group and let him tag along after he bought us drinks. ;)

We spent a good couple of hours on the dance floor. As I was trying to snap pics of Hayer a guy with a bow-tie popped into frame! He looked like such a character I had to take a picture. I found out he was from Turlock, it's such a small world.

After the party shut down, the Desi fobs got a little rowdy. One lifted up my friend's skirt and another actually opened the door to my car in front of the cops and slammed his fist against my trunk. I cussed him out in Punjabi. When I started translating into English the cops sped off after him. Mwahaha.

I drove around until we found an IHOP for food, which Sunny surprisingly covered. So we did him a favor and dropped Sunny off in Hayward. However, we did end up getting lost in Palo Alto (home to Stanford) for a bit. Made it home by 6 am.

Lessons Learned:

1) Turn off your parking brake when you're driving.

2) Wear shoes that you can slip off and abuse others with. Don't be afraid to use them!

3) Be nice to lonely guys. They come in handy.

4) Singing Kelis' Milkshake song will guarantee a milkshake craving.