ASIAN GROOVE

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B00006BXHY
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,737 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Pheli War - Bally Jagpal

2. Sabhyata - Karmix

3. Remember Tomorrow - Mo' Horizons

4. Terian Bulabi Buliyan - A.S.Kang

5. Black Night - Badar Ali Kahn

6. Awake - Mungal

7. Kunglim Guli - Yulduz Usmanova

8. A Night In Lenasia - Deepak Ram

9. Mamavatu - Susheela Raman

10. Noorie - Bally Sagoo

11. Aankh Naal - Kam Dhillon

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

About a generation ago, South Asian immigrants living in the bleak, industrial British city of Birmingham invented an ethnic-based brand of party music. Today's young ravers have upped the ante, drawing on percussive Punjabi bhangra and qawwali, an ecstasy-inducing Pakistani devotional style made famous by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. These are then festooned with defiantly artificial canned snares and ambient electronics, plus absurdist quotes from Bollywood musicals, saccharine Euro-pop, and over-the-top lounge clichés. The resulting polyglot pastiches tend to be fashioned in broad strokes and are thus not ideal for quiet living room listening. However, they are BPM nirvana when experienced in a nightclub with a few hundred other blissed-out, glassy-eyed dancers. That said, these are fascinating examples of one of the world's more subtly subversive underground movements, where music is being made by and for populations who prefer to assimilate only so much and on their own terms. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the Spirit of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (PBUH)..., October 14, 2002

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: ASIAN GROOVE (Audio CD)

Following on the heels of Arabic Groove (easily one of the most played CDs in my collection), this CD draws upon techno-fusion tracts from India and Pakistan. If you've ever heard remixes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, you will know just how moving and seductive this music can be. Its a wonderful romp through South Asian music. Bhangra legend Bally Sagoo has a moving number on the CD. However, the most interesting song comes from Yulduz Usmanova of Uzbekistan (which, granted drifts from the South Asian focus, but is deeply appreciated anyway). Her moving tract combines Uzbek folk music and western sensabilities to create a vivid and beautiful image of life on the steppes. Definately a keeper.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its good listening, February 3, 2003

By 

Rahul Dighe (Jacksonville, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ASIAN GROOVE (Audio CD)

I personally feel that they have arranged the numbers is the wrong order. I am writing this review after listening to this cd only once, but nonetheless being of indian origin i have heard the songs before. 8,9,10,11 are the best. Deepak Ram is just too good on the flute, its classical indian music with which the new generation can relate too, bally sagoo as usual is good with "Noorie", "aankh naal" is a true dance beat. Other than these 4 songs, i found the rest of them pretty dull in comparision .

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars You can't judge a CD by its cover either, March 13, 2005

By 

S. Berkwitz (Springfield, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ASIAN GROOVE (Audio CD)

I usually enjoy Putumayo compilations very much, but "Asian Groove" turned out to be a major disappointment. It is described as a blend of South Asian music, electronica, and funk. The comments I read about it persuaded me to expect a CD in which one could find danceable songs with a traditional Hindi music influence. But most of the tracks come across as adult contemporary world music. One hears more jazz than funk, and most would be pretty difficult to dance to. The Punjabi bhangra music mixed with electronic dance beats have proven very popular and danceable in the UK. Someone looking for South Asian-influenced dance music would be better off with a CD from that musical genre. "Asian Groove" makes for pleasant, fairly interesting background music, but alas, not much else.