While I'm slowly slogging through posting my day by day trip report from India a looong time ago, a lot has transpired. My understanding of Hindi, while still terrible, is slowly expanding. My adoption of Indian culture is ever expanding (more on this in the future, but contingent on certain events in my life I will happily elaborate on in the future ) and last year in 2013 my best friend and I formed a company.
DJ RDX and I had previous experience working with a different Bollywood party group, but after being let go when we wanted to contribute our own ideas and work on things other than a club party, it just worked out this way, so we decided to pursue our own interests anyway. We had two really successful cruise parties trying to innovate what entertainment means for desis and non desis alike in Seattle. We also faced a few failures in 2013. We cannot innovate without a crowd attracted to us that trusts us.
We decided on a new approach in 2014 to have a party every month and build that crowd and trust with our customers and make a great experience and then do the innovative stuff. So far we're meeting our goals we set for 2014, which is awesome.
Q&A
How did you discover Bollywood music?
This may have been mentioned elsewhere on the blog but basically through my coworkers when I was consulting at AT&T. It was such a nice team we shared a lot of cultural things together. I think the first video song shared with me was Shiela ki jawani. After that my first Indian movie was Enthiran in Tamil, though it was also released as 'Robot' in Hindi.
As a kid, I would dance to music in my room because no one was watching. When I started hearing this music it made me feel like I could dance like no one was watching. Initially it was difficult for me to find music to listen to because I didn't know what I was searching for. The more songs I heard, the more I knew what to look for, and seeing my friends show me music helped me understand. If you are a fan, its as easy as searching on YouTube for "Bollywood" but its easier to narrow it to Bollywood 2014 or romance songs, or any other search key. I quickly started a long twisting journey through the genres of music Bollywood explores (its a total fusion, there's hip hop, instrumental, pop, electronic, acapella, and so many more). I quickly became addicted to listening to it and it was like a never ending acid trip through the rabbit hole.
Who is your favorite Bollywood actor or actress?
More and more I want to see strong female roles in Bollywood. Because of the cultural climate in India, only now in 2014 are we starting to see actresses (read: Heroines) break the mold of the damsel in distress or oppressed girl who isn't allowed to marry her lover and step into more complex roles like action or independant roles (Please watch Queen starring Kangana Renaut) I digress, if I have to talk about a female its probably Deepika Padukone or Anushka Sharma. The Kareena/Katrina thing I find unimpressive and lacking charm. Your opinion obviously will vary, I'm just stating mine.
Aamir Khan. My favorite hero. I don't know why he decided to do Dhoom 3 (I suspect to expand his role and step out of his typecast persona) but other than that he has made some very impactful movies. He also makes a television show speaking out on difficult/taboo social topics (The Indian Oprah?) called Satyamev Jayate. From Infanticide to rape and other topics people whisper about, he brings it into the public eye. I applaud him for this. I really hope to meet him someday.
How did you connect what became a passion for Indian music to planning events?
I feel everything happened on accident. Or maybe the right word is serendipity. While I was working at AT&T, I started attending club parties. I had never done this in my life, so for an American thats kind of a late blooming thing to do in your late 20s. I somehow met a very charismatic DJ and made a few suggestions, and hung a few posters at my workplace to help promote him. The next thing I knew I was growing a struggling party into a very large affair, doing a news interview, then organizing New Year's Eve parties and just becoming deeply involved with other fans of this.
When I started my own business to do this, I had experimental self taught skill in Photoshop and Lightroom, a self driven interest in SEO, and an intuitive knack of how to market something like this.
So you're saying you do all of the work?
So Wicked Karma is almost completely run by me and DJ RDX. I am completely the marketing and business side of things, and he dedicates a lot of time to hunt for new music and to practice his art of DJ'ing which is harder than it looks if you want to do it well. We have a core group of friends and other DJs who work with us that it simply would not be possible to produce 300+ person events without help. From door staff, to a photographer (and even handling technical difficulties) to rotating DJs and scoping out venues, a lot of hard work and dedication go into Wicked Karma from a lot of friends who are close like family. It really is a labor of love.
Does it make a lot of money?
I think people who attend parties don't understand how venues and entertainment groups work together and they probably perceive that everyone makes more money than they actually do. I think the more you invest, the more you get out of it. A startup company, with nearly nothing to invest, will not earn a lot, especially while trying to attract fans (both casual and core). If our day jobs were very glorious and high paying, I'm sure we could emulate some of the other groups around the USA who focus on bringing celebrities and throwing big parties. Some of the limitations we face are a limited amount of venues in Seattle, a smaller desi population than say Bay Area, LA, or New York City. Sometimes venues are already totally booked, sometimes there's direct competing events at the same place. A lot of variables go into the bottom line, but the bottom line for a brand new company isn't much. I have hopes to continue to grow and be able to offer more enticing options in regards to venue, special guests, and perks, however I know it will take time.
What about other Indian music?
I am constantly discovering new amazing music. If you're reading this and you're Indian, imagine discovering Rock and Roll or American Pop or hip hop music for the first time (or whatever you're a fan of) and that incredible feeling of 'OMG this is amazing.' I have delved into bhangra, hindi rock, Tamil (huge AR Rahman fan), starting to get exposure and learn about Telugu, Mallu, classical, different eras different styles. I love discovering new things and finding out what I like and what I don't. I love fusions of music too- Red Baraat and Delhi 2 Dublin are some favorites as well.
The problem is, only some of this music is suitable for the club. Of the music that is, there will be many Indians from different states that appreciate music in different languages, and there's no way to many any one party happy. We differentiate ourselves from competing parties as being strictly Bollywood (with the exception of a theme that might focus on another form). There has been a huge influence of Bhangra in Seattle (one of my favorite dance forms) but because of the behavior of others, we're hesitant to play too much of it outside of the realm of what songs show up in Bollywood films. A party group that no longer exists had trouble with violence in the club, and even recently this year a person was thrown through the glass at a different party's night. Its a difficult topic because its not the music's fault, but a few people spoil it for the rest of the crowd. We also look at Bollywood only from a branding perspective.
People are absolutely allowed to like more than one DJ at a time, but I think oftentimes DJs don't think that way. There's already a good representation of Bollywood/Bhangra/Top 40 in Seattle and we want to be branded as the Bollywood only group and see how our crowd develops. I'm sure there will be overlap in fans but so far, based on parties I've attended versus the ones I've thrown, we have attracted a totally different crowd and that makes me happy. I feel like people are getting to know us based on Bollywood reputation.
Do your Djs also produce music?
Yes! DJ RDX and our associated DJs love to invent new music as well. Unfortunately not everyone understands that DJs and producers are two very different things. Not all of our DJs produce. DJs are there in the crowd mixing live, and any wrong button pressed will completely influence the energy of the party. Producers have to understand music from a more mathematical point of view and use totally different tools. To them songs are broken into not only beats, but by different insutrments, sounds, voices. They combine old sounds to make new sounds, or use tools to even invent brand new sounds.
What's the most interesting thing that has happened in one of your parties?
There have been some interesting events that I've been a part of personally and some that I have heard about. I think just being different and doing the first cruise parties in Seattle was a landmark event. I often get asked in a party "Do you like Bollywood music?" by an attendee who probably doesn't realize I'm the host. That never gets old. I also have met someone very special in my life because of these events that I don't think I would have met otherwise. I think its the same for other people, a lot of friendships and bonding are forged. People make new friends, have new experiences, and get inspired to be more social and to break out of their shells and dance more. It was memorable when people got seasick/too drunk on the first cruise too. I opted to not post the photos of the leaning over the garbage can. The whole thing is such an organic process that we learn something new every party about how to plan our next and how to make it bigger and better.
If you could give one piece of advice to your fans what would it be?
I think I would recommend that people step out of their comfort zone. If its hearing a new form of music, or trying a dance step you see someone else doing on the dance floor, talking to someone you normally wouldn't have interacted with, take a little bit of courage and do it. It will enrich your life and broaden your horizon, even if just a little bit. If you've always wanted to do something - why are you waiting? Go try it!
DJ RDX and I had previous experience working with a different Bollywood party group, but after being let go when we wanted to contribute our own ideas and work on things other than a club party, it just worked out this way, so we decided to pursue our own interests anyway. We had two really successful cruise parties trying to innovate what entertainment means for desis and non desis alike in Seattle. We also faced a few failures in 2013. We cannot innovate without a crowd attracted to us that trusts us.
We decided on a new approach in 2014 to have a party every month and build that crowd and trust with our customers and make a great experience and then do the innovative stuff. So far we're meeting our goals we set for 2014, which is awesome.
Q&A
How did you discover Bollywood music?
This may have been mentioned elsewhere on the blog but basically through my coworkers when I was consulting at AT&T. It was such a nice team we shared a lot of cultural things together. I think the first video song shared with me was Shiela ki jawani. After that my first Indian movie was Enthiran in Tamil, though it was also released as 'Robot' in Hindi.
As a kid, I would dance to music in my room because no one was watching. When I started hearing this music it made me feel like I could dance like no one was watching. Initially it was difficult for me to find music to listen to because I didn't know what I was searching for. The more songs I heard, the more I knew what to look for, and seeing my friends show me music helped me understand. If you are a fan, its as easy as searching on YouTube for "Bollywood" but its easier to narrow it to Bollywood 2014 or romance songs, or any other search key. I quickly started a long twisting journey through the genres of music Bollywood explores (its a total fusion, there's hip hop, instrumental, pop, electronic, acapella, and so many more). I quickly became addicted to listening to it and it was like a never ending acid trip through the rabbit hole.
Who is your favorite Bollywood actor or actress?
More and more I want to see strong female roles in Bollywood. Because of the cultural climate in India, only now in 2014 are we starting to see actresses (read: Heroines) break the mold of the damsel in distress or oppressed girl who isn't allowed to marry her lover and step into more complex roles like action or independant roles (Please watch Queen starring Kangana Renaut) I digress, if I have to talk about a female its probably Deepika Padukone or Anushka Sharma. The Kareena/Katrina thing I find unimpressive and lacking charm. Your opinion obviously will vary, I'm just stating mine.
Aamir Khan. My favorite hero. I don't know why he decided to do Dhoom 3 (I suspect to expand his role and step out of his typecast persona) but other than that he has made some very impactful movies. He also makes a television show speaking out on difficult/taboo social topics (The Indian Oprah?) called Satyamev Jayate. From Infanticide to rape and other topics people whisper about, he brings it into the public eye. I applaud him for this. I really hope to meet him someday.
How did you connect what became a passion for Indian music to planning events?
I feel everything happened on accident. Or maybe the right word is serendipity. While I was working at AT&T, I started attending club parties. I had never done this in my life, so for an American thats kind of a late blooming thing to do in your late 20s. I somehow met a very charismatic DJ and made a few suggestions, and hung a few posters at my workplace to help promote him. The next thing I knew I was growing a struggling party into a very large affair, doing a news interview, then organizing New Year's Eve parties and just becoming deeply involved with other fans of this.
When I started my own business to do this, I had experimental self taught skill in Photoshop and Lightroom, a self driven interest in SEO, and an intuitive knack of how to market something like this.
So you're saying you do all of the work?
So Wicked Karma is almost completely run by me and DJ RDX. I am completely the marketing and business side of things, and he dedicates a lot of time to hunt for new music and to practice his art of DJ'ing which is harder than it looks if you want to do it well. We have a core group of friends and other DJs who work with us that it simply would not be possible to produce 300+ person events without help. From door staff, to a photographer (and even handling technical difficulties) to rotating DJs and scoping out venues, a lot of hard work and dedication go into Wicked Karma from a lot of friends who are close like family. It really is a labor of love.
Does it make a lot of money?
I think people who attend parties don't understand how venues and entertainment groups work together and they probably perceive that everyone makes more money than they actually do. I think the more you invest, the more you get out of it. A startup company, with nearly nothing to invest, will not earn a lot, especially while trying to attract fans (both casual and core). If our day jobs were very glorious and high paying, I'm sure we could emulate some of the other groups around the USA who focus on bringing celebrities and throwing big parties. Some of the limitations we face are a limited amount of venues in Seattle, a smaller desi population than say Bay Area, LA, or New York City. Sometimes venues are already totally booked, sometimes there's direct competing events at the same place. A lot of variables go into the bottom line, but the bottom line for a brand new company isn't much. I have hopes to continue to grow and be able to offer more enticing options in regards to venue, special guests, and perks, however I know it will take time.
What about other Indian music?
I am constantly discovering new amazing music. If you're reading this and you're Indian, imagine discovering Rock and Roll or American Pop or hip hop music for the first time (or whatever you're a fan of) and that incredible feeling of 'OMG this is amazing.' I have delved into bhangra, hindi rock, Tamil (huge AR Rahman fan), starting to get exposure and learn about Telugu, Mallu, classical, different eras different styles. I love discovering new things and finding out what I like and what I don't. I love fusions of music too- Red Baraat and Delhi 2 Dublin are some favorites as well.
The problem is, only some of this music is suitable for the club. Of the music that is, there will be many Indians from different states that appreciate music in different languages, and there's no way to many any one party happy. We differentiate ourselves from competing parties as being strictly Bollywood (with the exception of a theme that might focus on another form). There has been a huge influence of Bhangra in Seattle (one of my favorite dance forms) but because of the behavior of others, we're hesitant to play too much of it outside of the realm of what songs show up in Bollywood films. A party group that no longer exists had trouble with violence in the club, and even recently this year a person was thrown through the glass at a different party's night. Its a difficult topic because its not the music's fault, but a few people spoil it for the rest of the crowd. We also look at Bollywood only from a branding perspective.
People are absolutely allowed to like more than one DJ at a time, but I think oftentimes DJs don't think that way. There's already a good representation of Bollywood/Bhangra/Top 40 in Seattle and we want to be branded as the Bollywood only group and see how our crowd develops. I'm sure there will be overlap in fans but so far, based on parties I've attended versus the ones I've thrown, we have attracted a totally different crowd and that makes me happy. I feel like people are getting to know us based on Bollywood reputation.
Do your Djs also produce music?
Yes! DJ RDX and our associated DJs love to invent new music as well. Unfortunately not everyone understands that DJs and producers are two very different things. Not all of our DJs produce. DJs are there in the crowd mixing live, and any wrong button pressed will completely influence the energy of the party. Producers have to understand music from a more mathematical point of view and use totally different tools. To them songs are broken into not only beats, but by different insutrments, sounds, voices. They combine old sounds to make new sounds, or use tools to even invent brand new sounds.
What's the most interesting thing that has happened in one of your parties?
There have been some interesting events that I've been a part of personally and some that I have heard about. I think just being different and doing the first cruise parties in Seattle was a landmark event. I often get asked in a party "Do you like Bollywood music?" by an attendee who probably doesn't realize I'm the host. That never gets old. I also have met someone very special in my life because of these events that I don't think I would have met otherwise. I think its the same for other people, a lot of friendships and bonding are forged. People make new friends, have new experiences, and get inspired to be more social and to break out of their shells and dance more. It was memorable when people got seasick/too drunk on the first cruise too. I opted to not post the photos of the leaning over the garbage can. The whole thing is such an organic process that we learn something new every party about how to plan our next and how to make it bigger and better.
If you could give one piece of advice to your fans what would it be?
I think I would recommend that people step out of their comfort zone. If its hearing a new form of music, or trying a dance step you see someone else doing on the dance floor, talking to someone you normally wouldn't have interacted with, take a little bit of courage and do it. It will enrich your life and broaden your horizon, even if just a little bit. If you've always wanted to do something - why are you waiting? Go try it!
No comments:
Post a Comment