DJ feels political beat with ‘Barack Obhangra’
Jimmy Singh believes music can unite and inspire people, so tonight at Schubas, he will serve as DJ in a show he is calling “Barack Obhangra.” A diehard backer of the Illinois senator turned presidential candidate, Singh’s goal is to inspire people to “get out the vote.”
“It doesn’t matter who they vote for,” Singh said, graciously. “What matters is that they not waste their vote.”
‘Barack Obhangra’
9 p.m. Friday
Schubas, 3159 N. Southport
Tickets, $10
(773) 525-2508; www.schubas.com
The political nudging will be wrapped around a high-spirited evening of multicultural music and dance.
Bhangra is a traditional song-and-dance form among Punjabi Sikhs that began as a way to celebrate the coming of spring and a new harvest. Ultimately, it seeped into Bollywood films as one of the driving forces behind those movies’ hip-shaking musical numbers.
Eventually, it worked its way into the Indian diaspora in Great Britain where, fused with hip-hop and house music, it flourished in London clubs and slowly infiltrated the United States.
Bhangra is not music you can simply stand around and listen to. Be prepared to dance, Singh advises.
“This is not music to chill out to; it’s high-energy dance music,” he said. “Come prepared. You’ll be dancing all night.”
Since moving to Chicago in 2002, Singh has built a reputation as a DJ, spinning music at bhangra dance parties at local clubs such as Smart Bar, Sonotheque and Funky Buddha Lounge. A graduate of Michigan State University, Singh grew up in Chandigarh, the capital of the Punjab region of India. There are family pictures — in one a 2-year-old Singh clutches a Donna Summer album — that attest to an early love of music.
“I have no idea how many songs are on my computer,” Singh, 31, said. “I love all kinds of music. I get very excited when I come across a sound I’ve never heard before.”
A fan of Brazilian and reggae music and Asian underground artists like Karsh Kale, Singh says Chicago gave him a platform and the opportunity to develop his skills as a DJ. He fuses bhangra with reggae, hip-hop, house and Mediterranean sounds.
“There’s not just one beat going on,” Singh said. “You will hear many instruments and sounds. I find it very hypnotic.”
Anyone familiar with Bollywood movies knows dancing to bhangra music involves arm, foot and shoulder movements. But don’t worry if you don’t know the right moves.
“I want people to get into the vibe and have a good time,” Singh said. “No matter how they dance, they’ll get a good workout.”
Singh juggles a day job as a project manager at a language translation company with his nighttime passion. He lives in Lake View with his wife of three months, Sabina Behl. There was one restriction at their wedding reception.
“I wasn’t allowed to go near the DJ booth,” Singh said with a laugh. “It was the first time I danced to someone else’s beats.”