The Ska Vengers

The Ska Vengers is a New Delhi based band that blends Ska, Dub, Punk, Jazz and Rap in their music. The core band consists of Stefan Kaye (Keys, Percussions, Theremin, Backing Vocals), Delhi Sultanate (Lead Vocals), Begum X (Lead Vocals), The Late Nikhil Vasudevan (Drums, Backing Vocals), Chaitanya Bhalla 'Chaz' (Guitars) and Tony Guinard (Bass, Backing Vocals).[1]

The Ska Vengers
OriginNew Delhi, India
GenresSka, Rocksteady, Dub, Punk
Years active2009 - present
LabelsTimes Music
Associated actsThe Jass B'stards, BassFoundation Roots, Delhi Sultanate, Emperor Minge, The Medicine Show.
Websitewww.theskavengers.com
MembersStefan 'Flexi' K
Delhi Sultanate
Begum X
The Late Nikhil Vasudevan
Tony Guinard
Chaitanya Bhalla 'Chaz'
Past membersRaghav 'Diggy' Dang
Rie Ona
Yohei Sato

The band is the first and only other ska-based setup coming out of India, and are touted to be the biggest (non-Bollywood or Hindi) independent export coming out of India[2] and also incorporates Psychedelia, Latin jazz and more experimental genres into their music.[3]

Band members
  • Delhi Sultanate - Male Lead Singer
  • Begum X - Female Lead Singer
  • The Late Nikhil Vasudevan - Drums
  • Tony 'Bass' Guinard - Bass
  • Chaitanya 'Chaz' Bhalla - Guitars
  • Stefan 'Flexi' K - Keys, Percussions, Backing Vocals, Bananas

Additional members

Mr. Woodnote - Saxophone

Rosie Turton - Trombone

Kishore Sodha - Trumpet

Self-Titled Album

The Ska Vengers released their first self-titled album in 2013, on Times Music.[4] The band released the first music video of the album with the track titled - Rough and Mean, explored subjects around male double standards and the prevalent misogyny in the Indian society.[5]

During the national election in 2014, the band released 'Modi, A Message to You', an animated music video adaption of the famous song - Rudy, A Message to You, which denouncing the then Prime Ministerial, and now current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the issues surrounding his involvement in the riots in 2002 in Gujarat, and his right wing inclinations.[6][7] The band members started receiving death threats over this video. And could not manage to get clearances from The Central Board of Film Classification[8]

Soon after, a music video for Badda was released in the year 2015, this time only on The Ska Vengers' YouTube channel.[9]

Frank Brazil

Frank Brazil, is the first single of The Ska Vengers from their second album XX.[10] The single and music video were released on 31 July 2015, which marked the anniversary of the hanging of Udham Singh, on whom the track is based. The video uses an animated narrative - developed by Kunal and Tisha Sen - to tell the story of Udham Singh, and his travel from India to UK, to assassinate Michael O'Dwyer, who Udham Singh felt was responsible for the infamous Jallianwallah Bagh massacre.[11]

Tihar Jail Performance

The band's performance at Tihar Jail, India's largest prison, in 2012 was widely covered in the press.[12] The objective of the show was to raise funds to donate instruments for the music room within the prison.[13] The idea was formulated after Stefan Kaye, the keyboardist was jailed at Tihar Jail for over-staying his visa in India.[14]

XX

XX, pronounced "Double Cross", is the second album released by the band on 1 July 2016.[15] The album features 9 songs, and apart from their usual Ska and Reggae sound, XX features new influences like Latin music with tracks like 'El Cumbanchero', and is also seen venturing into Afro-Cuban, Jazz and Psychedelia with songs like 'Afro-fantasy'. The 9 songs were chosen from a list of 18 songs prepared initially.[16]

International Recognition

UK / Europe Summer Tour 2016 & 17

Following their release of 'XX', the band went on an 18-show UK Summer Tour in 2016. Some of the shows included key slots at Boomtown Fair, Secret Garden Party, Wilderness Festival, London Mela, Bestival, Notting Hill Carnival, along with performing at key venues like Dublin Castle in Camden, Hootenanny in Brixton, The Duke in Whitstable and Curve Theatre in Leicester.[17][18][19][20]

In the summer of 2017, the band was back with an extensive calendar of 38-shows, this time playing main-stage slots at festivals like Glastonbury Festival, WOMAD, Love Supreme Festival, Boomtown Fair, Wilderness Festival, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Muziek In De Wilk amongst other.[21] This makes the band to be the first band coming out of the independent scene in India, to do so many dates outside of India, in a span of 3 months.[22][23]

Media Coverage

The band's image was further bolstered when they were interviewed by known music journalist, Alexis Petridis for a 2-paged feature for The Guardian, UK.[24] This was quickly followed by a primetime Channel 4 News feature hosted by Cathy Newman.[25] The band also went to perform a 20-min set on the WOMAD's Charlie Gillet Stage hosted LIVE on BBC 6 Music, as well as BBC Radio 3 by Cerys Matthews and Lopa Kothari,[26] as well as a live performance in studio on BBC Radio 4's famous "Loose Ends" show hosted by Sara Cox.[27] The band also went on multiple shows including Bobby Friction's BBC Asian Network, as well Zee TV London presented by Kanika Gupta.[28]

Upcoming Tours

The band has also performed at the Royal Jazz Fest in Bahrain, and is currently working on an Australian Tour 2018, as well as UK / Europe Summer Tour 2018.

The band is managed and booked by Urban Beat Project, a music agency based in Mumbai - India.[29]

Awards and nominations
Year Category Award Result
2012 Best keyboardist Rolling Stone Rock Awards[30] Won
2013 Best Video for (Rough n Mean), Best Band MTV Video Music Award[31][32] Nominated
2013 Best debut, Best pop album, Best Single Global Indian Music Academy Awards[33] Nominated
2014 Best live act VH1 Sound Nation[34] Nominated
2015 Best India Act Category (World Wide Act) MTV Europe Music Awards[35] Nominated

Discography

Album

Singles

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gollark: ++magic py ```pythonif bot.voice: await bot.voice.disconnect()bot.voice = await ctx.author.voice.channel.connect()source = discord.FFmpegOpusAudio("http://localhost:7778/", codec="opus", options="-af adelay=10000|10000")bot.voice.play(source)```
gollark: ++magic py ```pythonif bot.voice: await bot.voice.disconnect()bot.voice = await ctx.author.voice.channel.connect()source = discord.FFmpegOpusAudio("http://localhost:7778/", codec="opus", before_options="-itsoffset 1")bot.voice.play(source)```
gollark: ++magic py ```pythonif bot.voice: await bot.voice.disconnect()bot.voice = await ctx.author.voice.channel.connect()source = discord.FFmpegOpusAudio("http://localhost:7778/", codec="opus", before_options="-af adelay=10000|10000")bot.voice.play(source)```
gollark: ++magic py ```pythonif bot.voice: await bot.voice.disconnect()bot.voice = await ctx.author.voice.channel.connect()source = discord.FFmpegOpusAudio("http://localhost:7778/", codec="opus", before_options="-af adelay=100000|100000")bot.voice.play(source)```

References
  1. http://www.bordermovement.com/artists/the-ska-vengers/
  2. http://indulge.newindianexpress.com/ska-is-the-limit/section/34008
  3. http://www.wikinewsindia.com/english-news/thehindu-news/entertainment-news/dealing-vengeance-through-music/
  4. https://www.timesmusic.com/album/indie/ska-vengers-lp-2261.html
  5. http://amjamin.blogspot.in/2014/10/ska-vengers-indian-bands-journey.html
  6. http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-11/indian-band-ska-vengers-pulls-no-punches-new-song-blasting-political-frontrunner
  7. http://www.hindustantimes.com/music/watch-the-ska-vengers-music-video-celebrates-udham-singh/story-wLRR5JYcaStclptAhCnlxK.html
  8. http://rollingstoneindia.com/watch-ska-vengers-badda/
  9. http://rollingstoneindia.com/watch-ska-vengers-badda/
  10. https://www.oklisten.com/album/frank_brazil
  11. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ska-vengers-frank-brazil-udham-singh-ska-band-murder-ballad-jallianwallah-bagh/1/453688.html
  12. http://www.arabnews.com/life-style/unusual-break-daily-routine-tihar-jail
  13. http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/LYkNTxivrrsIfWkdyaKZCP/We-didn8217t-start-the-fire.html
  14. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-22650538
  15. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/music/news/Music-the-Ska-way/articleshow/53169992.cms
  16. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/music/news/Music-the-Ska-way/articleshow/53169992.cms
  17. https://vimeo.com/196155121
  18. http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/LYkNTxivrrsIfWkdyaKZCP/We-didn8217t-start-the-fire.html
  19. http://elle.in/culture/the-ska-vengers-share-the-stories-behind-their-songs/
  20. http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/the-review/xx-marks-the-spot-for-the-ska-vengers-an-indian-band-intent-on-world-domination#page2
  21. http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/news.xhtml/article/12248-the-ska-vengers-release-dates-of-extensive-european-tour
  22. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/20/the-ska-vengers-first-india-ska-band-radical-lyrics-lynched
  23. http://www.thewildcity.com/EN/news.xhtml/article/12248-the-ska-vengers-release-dates-of-extensive-european-tour
  24. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/20/the-ska-vengers-first-india-ska-band-radical-lyrics-lynched
  25. https://www.channel4.com/news/ska-vengers-the-delhi-based-music-band-challenging-mainstream-ideas
  26. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08zd3nl
  27. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08z98n6
  28. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08wrqk3
  29. http://www.radioandmusic.com/entertainment/editorial/press-releases/160702-xx-ska-vengers-releases-its-new
  30. http://rollingstoneindia.com/pentagram-sweep-the-jack-daniels-rock-awards/
  31. http://mtv.in.com/vmai/nominee.php?catid=11
  32. http://mtv.in.com/vmai/nominee.php?catid=10
  33. http://www.gima.co.in/oty-non-film-music-nominees.php?y=2014
  34. http://www.vh1.in/music/current/vh1-sound-nation-the-nominees-are-in
  35. http://in.mtvema.com/_/the-ska-vengers

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