India Pop on iTunes?

April 2, 2004 8:42 AM

My wife loves the Bend it Like Beckham soundtrack. I don't know what to call the music: India Pop? Can you recommend similar music? (Bonus for tunes available through the iTunes Music Store.)
posted by jdroth to media & arts (16 answers total)

Some (but not all) of the songs remind me of Nitin Sawhney. I'd try listening to Human or Beyond Skin, to see if your wife likes them.
posted by gd779 at 9:03 AM on April 2, 2004

If memory serves, at least one of the songs was a Basement Jaxx remix, "Red Alert" maybe?
posted by yerfatma at 9:58 AM on April 2, 2004

try the monsoon wedding sndtrk. don't know about itunes though
posted by jmgorman at 10:06 AM on April 2, 2004

The Basement Jaxx song is "Do Your Thing".

The stuff she really seems to like is sung in Hindii (I assume) and sounds like standard pop but with an Indian flavor to it. Personally, I like the song "Noorie" by Billy Sagoo and Gunjan.

Maybe we should get some more Bollywood stuff from Netfilx, too. We liked Lagaan. Perhaps these films would lead us to other Indian pop music...
posted by jdroth at 10:08 AM on April 2, 2004

The soundtrack for Lagaan is great. One of the best (and probably easiest to find) tracks is Mitwa. (If you want to look at the lyrics, I used it in on a MeFi swap mix, and yes, it is Hindi).
posted by whatzit at 10:37 AM on April 2, 2004

Try some of these:
Talvin Singh
Trilok Gurtu
Tulku
Makyo
Shri
DJ Cheb I Sabbah
Bill Laswell's Nagual Site album
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 10:52 AM on April 2, 2004

Strike the Shri found on iTunes (not the same Shri I have).
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 10:56 AM on April 2, 2004

For SURE Monsoon Wedding, and here are some links to some bangra, raaga, Hindi pop, and Asian massive sites.

I'm right there with her - can't get enough of it.
posted by pomegranate at 10:59 AM on April 2, 2004

British bhangra.

B21 are the band that play if I can recall at the end - get Jawani, my fave. Others that come to mind are RDB, Punjabi MC and, if you can find it, the somewhat rare finalised by groove factory.

Asian Dub Foundation are quite cool too - Bally Sagoo has some nice stuff as mentioned above.
posted by Mossy at 11:10 AM on April 2, 2004

There's also Ethnotechno.com
posted by pomegranate at 1:06 PM on April 2, 2004

You might try Best of Bolliwood.
posted by electro at 2:07 PM on April 2, 2004

The soundtrack for Lagaan is great.

I agree. I have three cuts from this soundtrack in heavy rotation on the iPod.
posted by Mo Nickels at 2:45 PM on April 2, 2004

electro, that album is mistitled. It doesn't even begin to cover the best of Bollywood. Not saying it's your fault. The foremost (golden) singers in Bollywood were/are Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle. There's also Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Shamshed Begum. Google for the "Best of" these various singers. That'll give a much better selection. IMHO, the best Hindi film songs come from before 1980, especially mid 50s to mid 70s. Most of today's songs shamelessly imitate the same melodic and rhythmic patterns. Not to mention the quality of the lyrics.
posted by Gyan at 3:43 PM on April 2, 2004

On a similar note, I never could find a soundtrack for "The Hairdresser's Husband"
posted by jaronson at 10:11 PM on April 2, 2004

Well. It seems I just had to look for it five minutes longer. I found it here.
posted by jaronson at 10:19 PM on April 2, 2004

I quite enjoyed the film "Taal", and the soundtrack contains a number of very good songs that will get stuck in your head for days.
posted by schoolgirl report at 8:36 AM on April 3, 2004