He introduced a combination of the traditional Indian bhangra music with the style of raggamuffin, the mix-up often known as bhangramuffin, to the world with his first album, 1993's 'No Reservations'. That release was produced by Simon & Diamond, Phil Chill, Robert Livingston, Bobby Digital, and Sly Dunbar. It was followed by 'Make Way for the Indian', produced by Sly & Robbie, The Press, Mafia & Fluxy, Pandit Dinesh, and Chris Lane. That album notably featured rapper Tim Dog and spawned the massive hit Boom Shack-A-Lak", which has been used in several movies and has become a sort of 'signature song' for Apache Indian .
'Real People', produced by Harjinder Noparat, proved to be his most experimental album and also featured more Indian elements than many of his previous releases. 'Karma', his first album of the new century, was a return to more traditional forms of reggae. That album featured Luciano, Boy George, and Mafia & Fluxy.
As stated before, Apache Indian merged raggamuffin with Indian music as well as influences from mainstream dance music and pop rap. Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. He helped to start a trend that has found a huge following. He's also the only Asian to date to have seven Top 40 Hits on the mainstream British charts. Stylistically, Apache Indian generally moved from mixing Indian music with raggamuffin and commercial rap to exploring more traditional forms of reggae on his most recent albums.
Lyrically, Apache Indian - who always uses Jamaican English - is known for his sharp social criticism ("Arranged Marriage" featuring Natacha Atlas; "Mention") as well as his party tracks ("Boomshackalak", "Jump Up").
Apache Indian has recorded with Boyz II Men, Blackstreet, Wreckx 'n' Effect, UB40, US chart topper Sean Paul, Maxi Priest, General Levy, Brian and Tony Gold, Shaggy, Yami Bolo, Boy George, A.R. Rahman, Sameera Singh. Asha Bhosle and Pras of the Fugees.
Reggae singer Sean Paul, who has been on the top of Billboard charts with his single with Beyonce, toured the US with Apache Indian.
For his first album "No Reservation", he had signed a contract worth £250,000 pounds with Island Records - one of the largest sums paid for a debut album by a non-white artist.
"Boomshackalak" was featured in five different Hollywood movies, including "Dumb And Dumber". More significantly, the song has featured in a record 52 commercials across the globe, featuring various brands.
Now it features on the "Scooby Doo 2" soundtrack, along with international names like Fatboy Slim, The B-52's, 2 Unlimited and New Radicals.
His composition "Om Namah Shivay" also features on Putumayo World Music World Reggae, a collection of reggae-influenced tracks performed by artists from around the world. The World Reggae compositions blend the upbeat and soulful groove of reggae with exotic local influences to create new and appealing variations that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.
Apache Indian was also nominated for the Central Britain Media and Arts Asian Jewel Award in 2004.
Discography
* 1993 No Reservations
* 1995 Make Way for the Indian
* 1997 No Reservations
* 1998 Real People
* 2000 Karma
* 2005 Time for Change
Movie Over India
Apache Indian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plane a where me catch a Indian air-liner
Place a where me land that a Amritsar
Who meet me no the Prime minister
Who a rush me baggage no a fe her father
Who kiss me Ghandhi daughter
Me there in a the country like a big movie star
Jump pon a taxi them a call a rikshar
The people meet me put them hands together
Woman in a sari man in pajarma
When them meet me them say, "O kith thar naine butchair teek hair"
And then the man who me meet a no the producer
Make one film with the one Amitabh
Make another one with the one Rekha
Who sing the song Latham-mageshka
Who play the music no Ravi-Shankar
Come take it from the youth bare back rider
Me chatta pon the mic like you could of never
So each and everyone mon come follow me mon
Dip you knee cork out you botty
The style a where you do are Bhangra jokey
Then me pass Bombay and me pass Delhi
Me meet me breadin Baldev Singh-jee
The two of we together feel hungry
Me rice and peas, me no want it
Me yam and banana, me no want it
Me want fe me meat and me roti
Me want me aloo and me gobee
Pon the side of me plate me want me chutnee
Me want a glass of water they give me parnee
Me want a little liqueur no them give me Desi
Say in a this a country that a Johnny Walker
But where me come from that a fire water
Say if you drink that you bound fe suffer
Come take it from the youth bareback rider
From the elephants trunk no me drink me water
You no say this a youth are the Wild Indian
Goin' fe tear down the city, goin' fe tear the nation
With a bran new style and a bran new pattern
So each a everyone come follow fashion
Me say dip you knee cork out your bottom
This a youth mon me a veteran
Listen them style in a translation
Say ick, thor, thin that a 1, 2, 3
Ura, era, eeri that a A, be , see
Me mother's mother that are me nane
Me father's mother are me thathee
Me bigger brother that are me parjee
But a fe me sister that are me panjee
Your pound and dollar say that a rupee
Your firewater me say that a desi
You want a glass of water say that a parnee
Me want me chalice say that a hookie
Me pull out me rizzla and me sensi
They say Wild Apache mon you a umalee
Come take it from the youth mon fe everybody
You no say this a youth have the authority
Me play it fe the white, Indian and Yardy
So put up your hand if you love Apache mon
Put up you hand mon everybody
In a bran new pattern and a bran stylee
Dip your knee cork out your botty
The style a where you do no the Bhangra jokey mon
In Apache Indian’s song Movie Over India, the singer narrates his journey through India to create a movie. The song starts with the chorus where Apache Indian shares that he wanted to make a movie over India. In the first verse, he talks about his flight to India on an Indian airliner and the place where he landed, Amritsar. There he meets the Prime Minister, who rushes his baggage to her father and also Gandhi’s daughter who kisses him. Apache Indian describes himself as a big movie star and the local people welcome him by putting their hands together in excitement. He then moves on to take a taxi and pass through Bombay and Kalistania, where he meets a film producer who has made films with Amitabh and Rekha, and singers such as Latham-mageshka. The song’s tempo changes, and Apache Indian then shares the experiences he has in India, where he meets his friend Baldev Singh-jee and shares his food preferences. He wants meat and roti with a side of chutney and a glass of water. He remarks on how the ‘firewater’ in India is Johnny Walker and how he drinks from elephant trunks. He then says he has new styles and patterns and urges everyone to come follow his fashion. The song concludes with him sharing his love for his roots, mother, father, siblings, and the rupee currency.
Line by Line Meaning
Me say me gone go make a movie over India
I'm going to make a movie about India.
Place a where me land that a Amritsar
I land in Amritsar.
Who meet me no the Prime minister
The Prime Minister meets me.
The people meet me put them hands together
The people gather and clap for me.
Who play the music no Ravi-Shankar
Ravi Shankar plays the music.
Me want me aloo and me gobee
I want potatoes and cauliflower.
With a bran new style and a bran new pattern
I have a new style and pattern.
Say ick, thor, thin that a 1, 2, 3
When I say ick, thor, thin, it means 1, 2, 3.
Me mother's mother that are me nane
My grandmother on my mother's side is my 'nane.'
Me father's mother are me thathee
My grandmother on my father's side is my 'thathee.'
Me bigger brother that are me parjee
My older brother is my 'parjee.'
But a fe me sister that are me panjee
My sister is my 'panjee.'
Me play it fe the white, Indian and Yardy
I play music for white people, Indians and Jamaicans.
So put up your hand if you love Apache mon
If you love Apache, raise your hand.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: STEPHEN KAPUR, DIAMOND JYOTI DUGGAL, SIMON JYOTI DUGGAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrMagsimus
Yes bro a true legend ! Had the pleasure of chilling out again with our great brother apache at the chutney chat venue, his inspiration speech is always so inspiring .. rising up in a era of no internet , face book and social media.. lol he took his first 500 vinyl records and sold them on foot to the record shops !! 😂 a very humble guy who never turned his back on handsworth and Birmingham.. promoted us in every way and helping the kids of the streets with his Music workshops ❤❤❤Big up Don Rajah 😊
fuegos
a true pioneer mixing up ragga n bhangra, fuckin legend
James Andolini
Great track - my favourite by the Apache
Aamaliyah Khan
My favourite
Trevor Thomas
80s 90s reggae best
Mouze Man
Hold tight all my wolverhampton donnys
Kambel
🔥🔥🔥🔥
For the love of vinyl
💥💥💥
Bugzygee72_
Big up 👆 😜🎳🎶💯💣💥🔥👍😝🎵
Trevor Thomas
Wild apache also
Supercat