Jazzy B, (Jasbinder Bains) is one of the most popular Bhangra singers in the world. He has had a meteoric rise to fame following the huge success of his debut folk album Ghugian Da Jorra in 1994. Now five years later he is regularly compared to Malkit Singh and Daler Mehndi as he continues to challenge them for the Bhangra crown.
Although he was born in India, Jazzy spent most of his life in Canada growing up in the Asian areas of Vancouver. He was heavily influenced by Punjabi folk vocalists from India including Kuldeep Manak, Surinder Shinda and Gurdas Mann.
With his love for music and his potent voice it was only a matter of time before he started to record his own songs. As a teenager Jazzy B released his first album, which despite doing well in America, was turned down by most of the British Bhangra labels. But a small retailer in Birmingham bought the rights and the release sold out within days!
The retailer became one of the biggest Asian record labels in the UK and Jazzy B became a household name. He followed up with numerous hit albums and songs including Londona Patola and the Jazzy Boliyan. His latest album is All Eyez On Me, accumulating the heavy percussive and traditional sound that Jazzy has made his own.
Jazzy has been working with music producer Sukhshinder Shinda ever since he came to England. Shinda has also developed and moulded his own style which has made him the highest earning musician in Bhangra.
Earlier this year Shinda was asked to produce the musical soundtrack for upcoming Indian film Shaeed Udham Singh. Within days he had Jazzy B in the studio recording a new song for the movie, the song that Jazzy and Shinda performed for Network East.
The song is entitled Shaeed Udham Singh and tells the story of the 1919 martyr who shot British General Dyer in response to the Jallian Wallah Bagh massacre in the Punjab. Jazzy B puts on an enigmatic performance to tell the harrowing story.
