Swami

Search this site
TME ROSTER
Turner's Characters
Turner's
Comedy Page
Turner's Contortionists
& Acrobats
Turner's DJs
Turner's Models
Turner's Showgirls
Turner's Speakers
& Spoken Word
Aché Brasil
Acrobats
(Turner's Contortionists
& Acrobats)
Adaline
Aire de Concierto
Alexandria Maillot
Ali Milner
All Things Spoken
Amanda Wood
Amani
Amos Garrett
Acoustic Trio
Armadillo Strings
Astrid
B3 Kings
Babe Gurr
Best of the West
Bill Tieleman
Blackie
and the Triumphs
Bonnie Kilroe
The Boom Booms
Brendan McLeod
Bria Skonberg
Brickhouse
Bro Gilbert
Burlington Rail
Carter Hortie
Characters
(Turner's Characters)
Charlie Demers
Checkerboard Guy
Chris Molineux
Classical Music Page
Coco Love Alcorn
Comedy
(Turner's Comedy Page)
Contortionists
Turners's Contortionists
& Acrobats)
Cory Weeds Quintet
Cousin Harley
Dal Richards -
Speaker
Dal Richards
Orchestra
Damien James
Damonde Tschritter
Darcy Michael
Derek Soros
DJs
(Turners's DJs)
Dr. Strangelove
Dynamics
Electropical
En Karma
Erica Sigurdson
Faith & Desire
Famous Players
Band
Fera
Five Alarm Funk
Flying Not Falling
Footedge Dance
Company /
South Asian Arts
Freeflow
Gary Comeau &
the Voodoo Allstars
The Gayest Show
on Earth
Glenda Standeven
Graham Clark
Groove N Tonic
Hadani Ditmars
Harem Dancers
Headline Acts
Heidi McCurdy
Hip Pocket
Dance Band
Hip Pocket Jazz Trio
Ivan E. Coyote
Jillian Lebeck
Jodi Proznick
John Gilliat Group
Joshua Hyslop
Kelly Brock
Keynote Speakers
(Turner's Speakers
& Spken Word)
Kytami
Lani Krantz
Luis Giraldo
Maria in the Shower
Mariachi Del Sol
Matthew Johnson
The Matinée
MCs
(Turner's Speakers
& Spoken Word)
Melody Mangler
Mike Battie
Mike Henry's Tribute
to Ray Charles &
James Brown
Mimosa
Models
(Turner's Models)
Mostly Marley
The Night Crawlers
Patrick Maliha
Paul Bae
Paul Bae - Speaker
Paul Myrehaug
Phil Hanley
Picante
Pink Flamingo
Burlesque
Powder Blues
Ramblin'
Ambassadors
Redeye Empire
Redgy Blackout
Red Robinson
Rich Hope
Rick Lewis
Roman Danylo
Rumba Calzada
Santa Lucia
Secret Revolution
Sex, Drugs
and I Can't Roll
Shane Koyczan
Shane Koyczan &
The Short Story Long
Shelley O'Brien
The Shirleys
Shona Le Mottée
Showgirls
(Turner's Showgirls)
Simon Stribling
Soul Sistahs
Soul Survivors
South Asian Arts /
Footedge Dance
Company
Speakers
(Turner's Speakers
& Spoken Word)
Spoken Word Artists
(Turner's Speakers
& Spoken Word)
Swami
Sweatshop Union
The Sweetpea
Swing Band
Tamara Rhodes
Tanyalee Davis
TÉA
Terry David Mulligan
Todd Allen
Turner's Characters
Turner's
Comedy Page
Turner's Contortionists
& Acrobats
Turner's DJs
Turner's Models
Turner's Showgirls
Turner's Speakers
& Spoken Word
TV Heart Attack
The Twisters
Two Much Guitar
Van Django
Veda Hille
The Way Cool Band
Werewolves
of Creston
Whitfield
Zapato Negro
 
AUDIO SAMPLES From the 2009 release - 53431
Sugarless
DesiRock
Mehbooba
PROMO MATERIAL
Tour Poster

Sugarless Video


World Beats Interview with Diamond Dugal
(aka DJ Swami)


"Ching" - Live on BBC 2's Desi DNA
Electropop meets British-Indian Bhangra roots on the futuristic dancefloor
2011 Brit Music Award Nominee for
Best Alternative Act
Swami are a British Indian pop/alt/bhangra band from Birmingham, England. Swami is also the pseudonym of the band's lead performer, producer, DJ and guitarist Diamond Duggal (aka DJ Swami), who founded the band with his brother Simon Duggal.

Though 'Swami' traditionally refers to a Hindu teacher, the name is an abbreviation of the English phrase 'So Who Am I?'. The band has made it clear through interviews that Swami is a band in the traditional sense.

Swami's debut dance album Desi Nu Skool Beatz was initially released on Simon & Diamond Duggal's own Sub Dub label in 1998. After Sub Dub folded, the album was picked up by Nation Records. Described as "blinding" by the Birmingham Post, the album received international recognition when the opening track Mehbooba appeared in the 2004 Olsen twins movie New York Minute. Nu Skool Beatz was followed by the 2002 album Bhangradotcom, which was less dance-oriented.

In 2005, the band signed a deal with Sony BMG to release DesiRock in India. With a heavily modified sound (nearly all songs re-recorded with live guitar and drums, and additional vocals by S-Endz), they then embarked on a successful promotional tour of India which included a high-profile performance at the MTV Style Awards. The Hindu people credited Swami with bringing British bhangra back to prominence in Indian clubs.

In 2007, Swami revealed that it would feature many guest appearances including Pras of The Fugees, Boostylz, Lady Ru, French rappers Asuivre, South African vocalist Ishmael, MC Spee from the band Dreadzone, Yam Boy and more.

Then, Swami signed a new international record deal with Virgin/EMI and subsequently released the album Equalize in India. The major label release is a new version including bonus tracks, one of them being an all-new version of the track Electro Jugni featuring Swedish popstar DeDe Lopez.

In January 2008, Swami won the 'Album Of The Year' award on DesiHits, and were nominated for 3 awards (Best Album, Best Producer and Best Underground Act) at the 2008 UK Asian Music Awards. Diamond also won the Best Producer award.

In June 2008, Swami revealed a forthcoming digital single of 'Electro Jugni/She's Mine'. Both songs are new versions, 'Electro Jugni' is a new Punjabi and Hindi version, and 'She's Mine' is an all-new English version of the song. Both songs feature all-new vocals from S-Endz, Liana and Sups. The artwork appeared shortly thereafter on MySpace, and the single is set to be released in the summer of 2008.

In August 2008, Swami's "Hey Hey" music video received its Canadian premiere at Toronto's FILMI Sout h Asian Film Festival, as part of FILMI's debut music video night programmed by Deejay Ra.

The video for Electro Jugni was premiered on the DesiHits website on the 23rd October 2008. The video for She's Mine is expected to appear soon.


 


Turner Music & Events
Suite 1104 - 207 West Hastings Street - Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7
Phone: (604) 662-4144 • Fax (604) 662-4116
Email: info@turnermusic.com