Interview: British singer-songwriter Apache Indian on his latest song, Punjabi Girl

For those who grew up in the ’90s, Apache will remain a reggae star who created waves back in the day with his unique sound with strains of bhangra.
Apache Indian
Apache Indian

Apache Indian, originally known as Steven Kapur, defies his age. In his latest release, Punjabi Girl, the 51-year-old musician is seen matching steps with Indian rapper Raftaar, with as much energy and style as he did back in the 1990s. Even his dreadlocks haven’t changed! 

Taken from his new EP On The Weekend, Punjabi Girl is a dance track with catchy Punjabi lyrics, accompanied by Raftaar’s rap. Similar to his previous hits, this one too is a hard-hitting and groovy track, composed and produced by Charlie Hype. “The idea was to use more of my Punjabi language and create a dance around bhangra and reggae styles. I wanted to bring some of the old-school vibes back with new sounds and beats,” says the Birmingham-based singer.

For those who grew up in the ’90s, Apache will remain a reggae star who created waves back in the day with his unique sound with strains of bhangra. Having pretty much created the new genre bhangramuffin for his music, Apache’s hit tracks like Arranged Marriage, Boom Shak-a-Lak and Chok There were a part of every party playlist. However, he explains that the fame was sudden and it took him time to process it. “My journey in the music industry was challenging at times as a lot happened very quickly. It took a lot of life adjustments. However, I was always happy to get such a massive response to my personal style of music and see it enjoyed by diverse audiences across the world,” he shares.

Apart from making his own music, Apache has also worked with popular music composers in India including the Academy Award-winning AR Rahman for Love Birds and Devi Sri Prasad for Iddarammayilatho. “It was a fantastic experience to work with such great artistes. With Rahman, I learnt a new language, Tamil, and how it is easier to learn it by singing it. I also learnt how much importance is paid to religion and prayers before recording.   I would love to do more work with him (Rahman), Rishi Rich, Pritham and Bappi Lahiri,” he says, adding that apart from reggae stars including Bob Marley and Burning Spear, Mohammed Rafi and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan have been his early inspirations. 
 

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com