Botown
Encyclopedia
Botown: The Soul Band Of Bollywood is a London based multicultural Soul band formed by musician, songwriter and producer Ajay Srivastav. It takes its name from the short form of 'Bollywood Town', itself a tribute to the classic Soul
music record label Motown which is short for Motor Town.
with classic Soul
and Funk
from the 1960s and 1970s. It is a musical reimagining of the Bollywood
genre and references artists such as Ray Charles
, James Brown
and Sly and the Family Stone together with Bollywood Music Directors such as RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal
and Kalyanji Anandji
. As well as Soul
music, the band also draws inspiration from Gospel
, Funk
, Jazz
, Blues
and Reggae
. Along with these musical influences Botown also add their original music and compositions. The band creates a musical link between what Srivastav calls the "working class music of India and America."
a venue well established in the UK Asian Arts scene. The concerts were a huge success and soon the band were regularly selling out venues such as Rich Mix, The Drum and the Broadway Barking. In the Summer of 2009, the band headlined at the Southampton Music festival and in August 2009 the band made history by being the first band to showcase Bollywood music at London's legendary Jazz Cafe
. In 2010 the band headlined at the GLA Diwali in the Square Festival at Trafalgar Square
in Central London
and played to a crowd of 30,000 fans.
In the Autumn of 2010 Botown released their debut single: Roop Tera, which was a Ray Charles
inspired reworking of a Bollywood classic from the 1969 film Aradhana
. The single hit the number one spot in the Official Asian Download Charts as played on the BBC Asian Network. The track combines Ray Charles inspired Gospel/Blues hooks with the SD Burman classic from the Bollywood film Aradhana.
The critically acclaimed debut album the Soul of Bollywood was released in Winter 2010 and climbed the Amazon Funk Charts going top 10. It was the only Asian album to be given mainstream distribution through HMV
shops in the UK that year and received a number of positive mainstream reviews including The Evening Standard and The Daily Express.
In February 2011 Botown were nominated for a Lebara Mobile UK Asian Music Award in the category of 'Best Alternative Act'.
Songs from Botown's debut album 'The Soul of Bollywood' have featured a number of times on the UK's leading soap opera EastEnders
on BBC1. Dum Maro Dum was featured in the episode broadcast on 8th March 2011, Churaliya on 24th March 2011 and Chaiyya Chaiyya was featured in a scene broadcast on 9th May 2011.
15 May 2009: Watermans
16 May 2009: Watermans
18 July 2009 Southampton Festival
21 Aug 2009 Jazz Cafe
2 Oct 2009: Barking Broadway
7 Nov 2009: Watermans
18 Dec 2009: Rich Mix
19 Dec 2009 Rich Mix
11 Mar 2010: Jazz Cafe
30 Oct 2010 Watermans
31 Oct 2010 Trafalgar Square
27 Nov 2010: Jazz Cafe
4 Dec 2010: The Drum
12 Feb 2011: Watermans
22 Feb 2011: Downstairs at Momo's
5 Mar 2011: Broadway Barking
4th Jun 2011: Barnet Arts Depot
3rd July 2011: Harrow Arts Centre
10th July: Leicester Belgrave Mela
10th July 2011: Cambridge in the City Festival (Main Stage)
23rd July 2011: Rich Mix (as part of BBC London 94.9 FM live broadcast)
15th Oct 2011: Granville Theatre, Ramsgate
29th Oct 2011: The Grove Theatre, Dunstable
11th Nov 2011: The Beck Theatre, Hayes
21st Nov 2011: Fairfield Halls, Croydon
25th Nov 2011: Woodville Halls, Gravesend
The Soul of Bollywood (Album) (p) 2010 Scion records
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
music record label Motown which is short for Motor Town.
Music
The music of Botown blends the genres of BollywoodBollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
with classic Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
from the 1960s and 1970s. It is a musical reimagining of the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
genre and references artists such as Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and Sly and the Family Stone together with Bollywood Music Directors such as RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Laxmikant-Pyarelal were a popular Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma . They composed music for about 635 Hindi movies from 1963 to 1998, working for almost all notable filmmakers including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Feroze Khan, B.R...
and Kalyanji Anandji
Kalyanji Anandji
Kalyanji Anandji is a name used by Indian composer duo known for its work on Hindi film soundtracks, particularly action potboilers in the 1970s. The name comes from first names of the two Gujarati brothers that formed the duo, Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah...
. As well as Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
music, the band also draws inspiration from Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. Along with these musical influences Botown also add their original music and compositions. The band creates a musical link between what Srivastav calls the "working class music of India and America."
The band
Botown is made up of many well known London based musicians all of whom are trained in various styles. The band was created and developed by Ajay Srivastav in late 2008 with the ethos of keeping music live and real. To this end the band is passionate about playing live and concerts include freeform and improvised sections with extended and sometimes spontaneous solo sections. Botown concerts are also well known for audience participation where fans sing and dance along with the band. Their first official public performance was in early 2009, though there were some 'warm up' shows in late 2008. The initial launch-shows were at the Watermans Arts CentreWatermans Arts Centre
Watermans Art Centre is a multipurpose arts centre. It is located in Brentford, alongside the banks of the River Thames overlooking Kew Gardens.It includes a 239 seat theatre and a 125 seat cinema.-External links:* - Official site...
a venue well established in the UK Asian Arts scene. The concerts were a huge success and soon the band were regularly selling out venues such as Rich Mix, The Drum and the Broadway Barking. In the Summer of 2009, the band headlined at the Southampton Music festival and in August 2009 the band made history by being the first band to showcase Bollywood music at London's legendary Jazz Cafe
Jazz Café
The Jazz Café is a music venue in Parkway in Camden Town, London, England. It opened in 1990, in the former premises of Barclays Bank, and has been run by Mean Fiddler Music Group since 1992, now a subsidiary of the MAMA Group.-History:...
. In 2010 the band headlined at the GLA Diwali in the Square Festival at Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
in Central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and played to a crowd of 30,000 fans.
In the Autumn of 2010 Botown released their debut single: Roop Tera, which was a Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
inspired reworking of a Bollywood classic from the 1969 film Aradhana
Aradhana
Aradhana is a 1969 Bollywood film directed by Shakti Samanta and starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna. It is a remake of the 1946 Hollywood film To Each His Own. It was voted best film of the year by the Filmfare Awards...
. The single hit the number one spot in the Official Asian Download Charts as played on the BBC Asian Network. The track combines Ray Charles inspired Gospel/Blues hooks with the SD Burman classic from the Bollywood film Aradhana.
The critically acclaimed debut album the Soul of Bollywood was released in Winter 2010 and climbed the Amazon Funk Charts going top 10. It was the only Asian album to be given mainstream distribution through HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
shops in the UK that year and received a number of positive mainstream reviews including The Evening Standard and The Daily Express.
In February 2011 Botown were nominated for a Lebara Mobile UK Asian Music Award in the category of 'Best Alternative Act'.
Songs from Botown's debut album 'The Soul of Bollywood' have featured a number of times on the UK's leading soap opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
on BBC1. Dum Maro Dum was featured in the episode broadcast on 8th March 2011, Churaliya on 24th March 2011 and Chaiyya Chaiyya was featured in a scene broadcast on 9th May 2011.
Performances
Nov 2008: Walthemstow Town Hall15 May 2009: Watermans
16 May 2009: Watermans
18 July 2009 Southampton Festival
21 Aug 2009 Jazz Cafe
2 Oct 2009: Barking Broadway
7 Nov 2009: Watermans
18 Dec 2009: Rich Mix
19 Dec 2009 Rich Mix
11 Mar 2010: Jazz Cafe
30 Oct 2010 Watermans
31 Oct 2010 Trafalgar Square
27 Nov 2010: Jazz Cafe
4 Dec 2010: The Drum
12 Feb 2011: Watermans
22 Feb 2011: Downstairs at Momo's
5 Mar 2011: Broadway Barking
4th Jun 2011: Barnet Arts Depot
3rd July 2011: Harrow Arts Centre
10th July: Leicester Belgrave Mela
10th July 2011: Cambridge in the City Festival (Main Stage)
23rd July 2011: Rich Mix (as part of BBC London 94.9 FM live broadcast)
15th Oct 2011: Granville Theatre, Ramsgate
29th Oct 2011: The Grove Theatre, Dunstable
11th Nov 2011: The Beck Theatre, Hayes
21st Nov 2011: Fairfield Halls, Croydon
25th Nov 2011: Woodville Halls, Gravesend
Discography
Roop Tera (Single) (p) 2010 Scion recordsThe Soul of Bollywood (Album) (p) 2010 Scion records