The music at Masala Beat Club invokes not only the vindaloos and vibrant colors of Indian, but also hints at the lapping waves of the tropical Caribbean and dark nights in South London clubs.  The beats born on the subcontinent evolved as Indians emigrated over centuries and seas.  The irresistible bhangra music that has been a part of Punjabi harvest celebrations for centuries gained an edge as it was mixed with Western hip-hop.  Many artists mix beloved Indian bollywood beats with Caribbean energy to create songs that appear on top of both Bhangra and Reggae lists.

In the 1800’s, British ruled India began sending droves of Indians to the Caribbean Islands to work on sugar plantations in reluctant indentured servitude. Approximately 800,000 Indians arrived in the British West Indies, which includes Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guiana, to do the work of recently liberated slaves and quickly became the near majority on many islands.  This transplanted capsule of India continued to create traditional folk music, but it was soon infused with the Caribbean groove that surrounded them.  The dancehalls of Jamaica caribbeanized the music to create a genre called “chutney”.   Many Indians also played a part in creating “ragga” music, which is a hyped-up reggae sounds that often includes Indian beats.

Indians and Caribbean folks were destined to meet yet again.  In 1960, the UK opened its arms to all commonwealth residents, and saw in influx of both Caribbean and Indian immigrants.  Joined by their marginalized state in British society, these two groups met each other again in immigrant, working class neighborhoods in South London and Birmingham.  This is where the musical alchemy really heated up and produced the mishmash of utterly danceable sounds that can now be found all over the world (including India!).

Britain in the 80’s and 90’s saw the birth of “Bhangragga” and the unlikely mixing of Bollywood and techno.  Immigrants from India were not only meeting their Indo-caribbean kin, but also native caribbeans, and Indian artists like Apache Indian and Bally Sagoo let the reggae, soul and funk surrounding them seep into the traditional Bhangra and Bollywood they knew so well.  In 1995, Talvin Singh founded a UK nightclub where DJ’s mixed bhangra, techno, house, drum n bass and tabla beats.  The sound took off, and Singh has become an international superstar and is considered an originator and crucial catalyst for the “Asian Underground” sound.

The sound was a hit.  The US, with a much smaller Indian population, has been slower to embrace it, but DJ’s like Marco and Mogambo are helping to spread the word.  If the crowd at Masala Beat Club is any indication, US taste buds are starting to crave a bit more spice.

Originally published by The Indian American, July-August 2006

“It’s the time for disco!” As arms fly, the crowd is emotionally split. About half the packed dance floor is experiencing high nostalgia as they belt out the chorus of this popular Bollywood tune. And the other, non-Indian half? After looking lost for a few seconds, the contagion catches hold, and soon everyone is singing together. Masala Beat Club, a monthly event held in the student and IT dense North Carolina triangle area is arguably the most joyous celebration of Indian music in the South East and has been creating love for the beats of the subcontinent for 3 years. The catch? The ambassadors are American.

DJ Marco and DJ Mogambo (aka Mark Weddington and Tim Meehan) are spinning new and old Indian beats tonight. 70’s Bollywood classics mix with the Asian underground blend of Bhangra, reggae, hip-hop and dancehall that came out of the Post-Colonial Diaspora in the UK. Hypnotizing Bollywood dance scenes are projected on a wall above the dancers. The eclectic dancefloor moves as one – groups of American college students, Indian IT professionals, indie rockers, hippies, and international students break apart and dance together into the night. Indians who grew up watching Bollywood films and mirroring dance moves proudly display their knowledge. And the American newbies dance in familiar ways, but watch and learn and slowly start shaking their hips and throwing their arms in the air in the contagious Bollywood style.

Masala Beat Club has grown organically. Marco is a well known DJ in the area and began playing global soul and funk beats from the 70’s. He mixed in some old style Bollywood and noticed that the crowd went especially wild whenever it came on. As he began getting more and more requests for newer Indian stuff, he began to build his knowledge and is now connected to the global scene of Indian beat lovers. The internationally acclaimed Panjabi Hit Squad, the originators of “urban asian fusion”, guest DJ’ed a recent Masala Beat Club, and gave Marco and Mogambo an amazed shout on BBC radio. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”

DJ Mogambo’s interest in Indian beats came after listening to a Talvin Singh album given to him by an American friend. A busy PhD student in Physics, Tim loved the music, but knew that he needed some kind of obligation to motivate him to spend time learning about it. So, he began to DJ. Mogambo’s interest began with the Asian Underground sound that came out of South London in the 90’s. You can see the excitement and curiousity that has fueled this interest as Mogambo begins to talk about the history of this music and how it has transformed over time. As people and music traveled from India to the Caribbean with colonial indentured servitude, and then to the UK, Mogambo feels that the resulting music has developed a universally appealing beat. The raging crowd at Masala Beat Club clearly agrees.

Marco and Mogambo’s event brings together a surprisingly mixed group. “I mean, just look at this table” Marco notices. We have two turbaned Sikh Bhangra lovers who have grown up in both India and the US, a second generation Bengali (that’s me), an African American, two white Americans and a “fresh of the boat” professional Indian, newly transplanted here as one of the wave of talented IT stock. The event has come to serve two purposes: a) to bring out Indians who grew up with the music and deeply appeal to their nostalgia, and b) to introduce the sound to open-minded Americans and internationals who just want to dance and have a good time. Bhangra and Bollywood mixed with western sounds like hip-hop and dancehall, mixed back in with Indian percussion creates an utterly danceable beat. Marco’s reputation and ability to play at well known clubs and the atmosphere of global appreciation created by the nearby universities has allowed the event to flourish.

Conspicuously missing are second generation Indians. Mogambo has tried to reach out to these groups, but says that they always end up asking for American hip-hop as their comfort sound. They lack the nostalgia draw that brings in newer immigrants, who come to dance because it reminds them of home, and they don’t share the uncomplicated appreciation that many American newcomers feel towards the music. Too many second generation kids are still recovering from the feelings of embarrassment and shame brought on by years of hiding their Indian heritage from their American classmates.

But Masala Beat Club is changing the way Americans feel about India. Gagandeep Bindra is a regular attendee, and values the purity of appreciation that he sees in Marco and Mogambo. Gagan, who was born in India and wears his turban proudly, and feels that Masala Beat Club has “actually brought awareness of South Asia, on a real street level”. They have successfully introduced hundreds of people to the irresistible Indian sounds and made it something accessible and digestible to American tastes.

Many people happen upon Masala Beat Club by chance and get hooked. Mary Lindsley says she walked innocently into a Masala Beat Club night happening at a well known club in Durham, NC just because she felt like dancing. Her life has changed, as she met and started dating sometimes DJ (DJ Turbinador) and regular dancer Montek Singh, and is now a true convert. “I didn’t even know what ‘bollywood’ meant”, she says, but was drawn to the “universal beat”, and comforted by the diverse crowd.

Marco says he is regularly approached by Indians who are amazed that he knows so much. He is going to continue having these extremely successful monthly events and has started playing his appealing mix at weddings, his first for an African-American groom and Malaysian bride who just loved the music. As the night ended on a well-known (to Indians) Bollywood tune, a group of first generation immigrants continued singing, throwing their arms around each other and still dancing to the absent music, overjoyed not only by the beat but also the nostalgia, doubtless recalling their much missed homeland . Marco looks pleased at the success of the event, but maintains a slight distance from the euphoric mix of deep nostalgia and longing that these Indians are experiencing. But he is creating it.

Originally published by The Indian American, July-August 2006

After spending a few decades quietly settling into their new homeland, taking care of their families, nurturing successful businesses and gaining respect in medicine and academia, Indian Americans are now ready and eager to enter a new frontier - politics.

At last, Indians Americans have realized that they no longer need to obediently live by legislation created by seemingly more “american” Americans. They are here, they are American, and they have the power to change the country.

And what is the power? More and more, it is all about money.

This “model minority” has the highest per capita income of any ethnic group in the United States, and has been steadily contributing to local, state and federal campaigns over the past 20 years. Small in number but large in purchasing power, Indian Americans are increasingly realizing that money matters and can move politicians to take care of their interests.

In 2000, politicians around the country took notice as 8 million dollars rolled in from Indian Americans alone. From 1980 to 1995, Indian Americans steadily increased contributions from 0 to about 5 million dollars. The steep 60% increase to 8 million within 5 short years well exceeds the rate of population growth, and politicians everywhere have perked up.

Since 2000, politicos have been courting this powerful minority at every level, and Indians have organized into groups such as the Indian American Political Advocacy Council, the Indo-American Democratic Organization, and the Indian American Republican Council. These groups attempt to integrate Indian Americans into the political system in a variety of ways. They encourage voting, seek to put Indian Americans in the position to run for elected office, cultivate relationships with influential figures, and increasingly, contribute their ample funds to legislators who will support their interests.

So who are Indian Americans contributing to, and why?

Unlike other Asian minorities, Indian Americans have a tendency to contribute more to Democrats than to Republicans. American Politics Research, an academic journal, recently published a study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne entitled “Subcontinental Divide: Asian Indians and Asian American Politics”. The study attempted to divine trends of Asian Indian activity by looking at contribution data compiled by the Federal Election Commission. They found that Indian Americans were contributing to Democrats 2.5 times more than Republicans at all levels. The disparity has grown to become more Democratic over the past twenty years.

Indian Americans have so far shown the most interest in lower level campaign. They have been contributing more to local and state campaigns than to national ones, and more to congressional races than to presidential. This bottom up interest will likely spread to the upper levels as Indian Americans become more and more involved, and as their connections are elected to higher and higher offices.

What is the most likely indicator that Indian Americans will contribute? Well, it is … being Indian. Indians are extremely loyal to their countrymen, and are very willing to donate money to Indian American candidates whether or not their share political opinions. At this point, Indian Americans are eager to simply get a seat at the political table and will support their fellow immigrants almost regardless of policy and political agenda.

Dino Teppara, Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-S.C.) Legislative Director, has seen contributions increase significantly in his 4 years on Capitol Hill. Teppara, a second generation Indian American, has been very involved with Republican fundraising and is the spokesperson of the Indian American Republican Council.

Teppara believes that the time has come for real Indian American political participation. “For the past 25 years, the primary focus of first generation Indian Americans was establishing themselves financially for their children.” Indian Americans, Teppara feels, are finally feeling settled. “Being involved politically indicates complete assimilation into American society.”

“We know contributions have gone up a lot since the 2000 election”, Teppara says. In 2004, for the first time, 5 individuals reached the contribution level of Pioneer or Ranger, which means that they were able to individually raise 100,000 to 200,000 dollars from contributors for the Bush-Cheney campaign. As citizens are only able to personally contribute 2,000 dollars, the high numbers illustrate the mass of connections that were built throughout the Indian community by these individuals. One of them was Dr. Raghavendra Vijayanagar, chair of the Indian American Republican Council and known popularly as “Dr. Vijay”.

Republicans weren’t the only ones raising money. South Asians for Kerry hosted the most successful fundraising event of its kind thus far. John Kerry, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton joined 500 Indian Americans and high profile figures like Ismail Merchant for a breakfast in New York City, and together raised 1 million dollars for the campaign. Indian American advocacy groups were able to raise as yet unheard of amounts for the Senator’s presidential campaign.

As Indian Americans have started their tentative first steps towards participation, politicians are in turn reaching out to them in record numbers. AAHOA, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, has hosted Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich as the keynote speakers at their yearly convention. Ash Patel, secretary of AAHOA, feels that politicians are beginning to notice that though Indians don’t vote in large numbers, they have enough money to really make a difference.

Patel, who arrived in the US in 1984 as a student, is also the chair of both the Government Affairs and Political Action Committees for AAHOA. He has held leadership roles at AAHOA for 3 years and has seen tremendous change even in that time. The Board of AAHOA, which represents the 40% of the lodging industry that is controlled by Indian Americans, has recently been filled with second and third generation Indians who have shifted the focus from financial success to political participation.

“We were working 18 hours a day with our heads in the ground” says Patel. Many new immigrants, Patel says, were focused for too long on simply succeeding in business and taking care of their families. They found they were spending all their energy doing what they needed to do to run their own lives and businesses successfully.

“We have achieved the American Dream, now what is the next frontier?” The next frontier, Patel believes, is political participation.

Too often, Patel has noticed Indian Americans who “don’t want to rock the boat”, and were slightly uncomfortable negotiating the American system. But Patel knows that Asian American hotel owners are inescapably tied to the system they are working in. “If we don’t protect ourselves from legislation, our businesses will be in danger”.

Patel is working hard to drive home the importance of political participation to AAHOA members. AAHOA has organized a PAC, which exists to pool the resources of AAHOA members “to make contribution to candidates… who support the hospitality industry and who recognize and appreciate the contributions of Asian Americans.”

AAHOA members have come together on issues such as increased worker visas, reduced application and visa fees for foreign travelers coming to the US, and improved tourism. Slowly but surely, Indian Americans in the hotel industry are realizing that using their voice to affect legislation has a tangible affect on their lives.

Indian physicians have stepped into the political arena as well. Vijay Koli, President on AAPI (American Association of Physicians from India) has noticed a marked interest in political issues and contribution. “There is much more awareness in the community that nothing can be taken for granted” says Koli. Indian doctors, he says, can no longer simply concentrate on doing their jobs and living their lives. “We need to have sympathetic politicians at the local, state and federal levels.”

On May 3^rd, 2006, AAPI joined AAHOA, IARC, IARD and myriad other Indian advocacy groups to hold their first ever congressional reception to lobby for the passage of the US-India civilian nuclear agreement. 200 Indian community leaders joined Karl Rove and many other top Administrators to impress the importance of this deal to Indian Americans. The group included influential Indians from both sides of the political field and was organized by community activist Swadesh Chatterjee and Nilesh Mehta, president of the Indian American Forum for Political Education. The strong interest on the side of American administrators reflects the new desire to please this valuable group.

Teppara is also keenly aware of the issues that Indian Americans care about and that motivate them to act and donate. When reaching out to first generation Indian Americans, Teppara feels that many are still very loyal to their homeland and are eager to support legislation that is Pro-India. As can be seen by the May 3^rd bipartisan reception, the nuclear deal has increased support among Indians for actions of the Bush administration. News of outsourcing jobs to India, while a divisive issue in the US, tends to rally up support due to the improved Indian economy.

Many Indian Americans are also keenly aware of immigration issues and are increasingly willing to donate money for the cause. Indian Americans, all too familiar with the many hassles associated with immigration, are eager to contribute to legislators who will ease the pain of confusing paperwork and bureaucracy, attorney and visa fees that can reach the tens of thousand of dollars, and the wait that too often stretches from months to years.

Teppara has been able to rile up interest for the Republican Party in recent weeks because of the imminent changes in immigration policy. Many Indian Americans, he feels, are resentful of illegal immigrants who may soon be receiving temporary guest worker permits. He has used this as a rallying point for Indian Americans, noting that they are intimately familiar with the torturous process, but feel that it’s not fair for some immigrants to bypass the system while others must wait.

South Asians for Kerry was able to motivate the democratic side of the Indian American community on many issues as well. A press release put out by SAKI before the election highlights the Democratic history of pro-immigration legislation, international cooperation, and support for civil rights and religious freedom. In the 2004 election, Indian Americans overwhelming preferred Kerry.

Teppara also noted the differences in reaching out to second generation Indian Americans. First generation Indian Americans still feel very tied to India, but their children feel more like Americans. They are less likely to be inspired by strictly Indian issues, and are more likely to be moved to action by issues like the War on Terror or the environment. They are also more directly involved in the political process, working on campaigns and getting jobs in politics. Teppara sees a “trickle down effect” here, as second generation Indians working in politics spark their parent’s interest in the American system, and the parents, who are more settled, find donating to be the easiest and most effective way to contribute.

According to the 2000 US census, the Indian American population has more than doubled since 1990 and is now approaching 2 million. A record number of Indian Americans are running to office in November. If the current trends are any indication, Indian Americans will soon have a real voice in the American democratic process.

Originally published by The Indian American, July-August 2006