Nitin attended Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and studied law at Liverpool University for a short time. He then went to London, where he met Sanjeev Bhaskar. The pair became friends and created a comedy double act, The Secret Asians, together. The show sought to turn absurdly dated Asian stereotypes on their heads. It led to a contract with BBC radio and eventually grew into the award-winning BBC TV sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
During that time he met up with an old school friend, acid jazz keyboards-player James Taylor. He joined Taylor for a 40-date tour in as part of The James Taylor Quartet. It introduced him to the jazz club scene and provoked him into forming his own band, The Jazztones. He moved on to join forces with tabla master Talvin Singh to form the Tihai Trio and, after that collaboration ended in 1993, released his debut album, Spirit Dance on his own label. Shortly afterwards, he signed with Outcaste Records.
Sawhney's music is intensely political, commonly approaching themes of multiculturalism, empowerment, identity, immigration, poverty, and spirituality. He is active as an artist in residence for five different performing arts organisations in Europe and Asia, and along with George Martin is a patron for the British Governments Access-to-Music Program which brings music education to the inner-city students.
Sawhney's skills include classical and jazz piano and flamenco guitar. He has released six studio albums, as well as countless remixes and collaborations. After releasing Beyond Skin on London's Outcaste Records in 1999, he was signed by V2 to do six albums. His first album with the Virgin subsidiary, the millennial/apocalyptical Prophesy, in 2001 won a MOBO Award and a BBC Radio 3 Music Award.
Sawhney's music is influenced by his roots in India, utilising and featuring Urdu and Hindi lyrics, Qawwali singing, tablas and other instruments from the subcontinent, and Raga phrasings in music which is often primarily meant for the dance floor.
Sawhney's work in production and arrangement has led to his working in film and television scores. He has scored television ads for Sephora and Nike, as well as more than 25 films from his London-based Spirit Dance Studios. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Film and TV Composition in 2004 for his music on Channel Four's film, Second Generation. From there, he has begun to see acceptance from the "classical" community, and in 2004 he was commissioned by the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Symphonia to compose new performance works. London's Royal National Theatre invited him to write, direct, and score a work to be opened in 2005.
For photographs and additional information visit Nitin's official site, www.NitinSawhney.com
Streets
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
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both like, from uh, you know work ethic and you know the restaurants and the music and it's really a diverse city.
I mean you walk through the Vany Avenue, you know you go through Korean neighborhoods,
Old Jewish neighborhoods, Arabic neighborhoods, uh, Pakistani-Indian neighborhoods.
It's incredible. The intensity... I think yeah, development has pushed us away from other people.
You know a lot of times people are rude because they want like immediate access or immediate information.
You know some things in life can't be immediate, sometimes you gotta wait and let things happen...
People are like, are increasingly rude. Like I'll say somebody will get in a cab, we'll say "I'll get em there in 5 minutes."
At the end of your life nobody's gonna put at your tomb stone "shit I got in a cab in five, in seven minutes instead of three".
You know, It doesn't matter, and technology has made us slaves to time.
Naw, a lot of people that are really have technical jobs, they're slaves to time.
And time is the essence of life it seems like. And they're basically like losing it
They're losing the essence of their life because, you know, their life is like just going away and,
They're not enjoying it because their so engrossed in efficiency and productivity and shit like that.
That it's almost sad. They all come here from somewhere else like seeking their fame and fortune or,
The top jobs and they're and career-you know, in their, in their industries.
They get very engrossed, and they into these you know these cell phones and computers and...
I think the real important things in life are you know, people and your family.
I think you don't realize that, a lot of people don't realize that until they're older.
I think there's going to be a backlash against technology.
The lyrics of Nitin Sawhney's song Street Guru explore the idea of cultural diversity and its effect on the city, as well as the negative impact of technology on human relationships and quality of life. The singer discusses how different ethnic neighborhoods have contributed to the richness of the city through their distinct cultural values and practices, such as work ethic and cuisine. However, despite the cultural diversity, development has pushed people away from each other, leading to a loss of common courtesy and patience. The singer laments the obsession with time and efficiency in modern society, which has made people forget the significance of human relationships and the importance of spending time with one's family.
The song's lyricism is thought-provoking and profound in its exploration of the themes it addresses. It reflects a common feeling of longing for simpler times and deeper connections with others, while acknowledging the challenges and complexities that come with cultural diversity and rapid technological progress. The rhythm and melody of the song provide a soothing and contemplative backdrop to the lyrics, enhancing their emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
They've incorporated their culture and their values into the city and they've enriched the city
The diverse communities within the city have brought a wealth of culture and values, which has solely enriched the city
both like, from uh, you know work ethic and you know the restaurants and the music and it's really a diverse city.
The diverse communities have also brought unique work ethics, culinary delights, and musical genres to the city, making it a truly diverse place
I mean you walk through the Vany Avenue, you know you go through Korean neighborhoods,
Old Jewish neighborhoods, Arabic neighborhoods, uh, Pakistani-Indian neighborhoods.
Walking through Vany Avenue showcases Korean, Jewish, Arabic, and Pakistani-Indian neighborhoods represented within the city
It's incredible. The intensity... I think yeah, development has pushed us away from other people.
Despite the city's incredible intensity, development has created a disconnect between its residents and caused people to become isolated from one another
You know a lot of times people are rude because they want like immediate access or immediate information.
People's obsession with efficiency and productivity has made them rude and impatient when they do not receive immediate access to information
You know some things in life can't be immediate, sometimes you gotta wait and let things happen...
Some things in life require patience and cannot be achieved immediately, and it's necessary to let these things develop naturally
People are like, are increasingly rude. Like I'll say somebody will get in a cab, we'll say "I'll get em there in 5 minutes."
Society has become increasingly rude to the extent that people demand immediate service, even in a simple situation like a cab ride
And they'll say, "Well, It should only take 3." Now who gives a shit if it takes 5 minutes or 3 minutes, who cares?
People's fixation with time has made them obsess over minutes, seeking instant gratification even over trivial matters
At the end of your life nobody's gonna put at your tomb stone "shit I got in a cab in five, in seven minutes instead of three".
In the grand scheme of things, minor time discrepancies hold no meaning or consequence, thus there's no value to place on these insignificant moments
You know, It doesn't matter, and technology has made us slaves to time.
Modern technology has created an unhealthy dependency on time, causing people to become slaves to schedules and appointments
Naw, a lot of people that are really have technical jobs, they're slaves to time.
People working in technical fields suffer the most from this addiction to time, as their jobs require a higher level of productivity and time-management
And time is the essence of life it seems like. And they're basically like losing it
Time is fundamental to life, but our preoccupation with productivity causes us to overlook important moments and experiences that we'll never get back
They're losing the essence of their life because, you know, their life is like just going away and,
By prioritizing their jobs and scheduling their entire lives, people are losing sight of the meaningful and spontaneous experiences they could be having
They're not enjoying it because their so engrossed in efficiency and productivity and shit like that.
People are unable to enjoy life because their obsession with efficiency and productivity prevents them from being present in the moment
They all come here from somewhere else like seeking their fame and fortune or, The top jobs and they're and career-you know, in their, in their industries.
Many people move to the city seeking career success, to attain the top jobs in their respective industries
They get very engrossed, and they into these you know these cell phones and computers and...
Once they attain the job or career success they seek, people become increasingly engrossed in their work and technology
I think the real important things in life are you know, people and your family.
Even through the chaos of the city and fixation on productivity, the most important things in life are spending time with loved ones and forming meaningful relationships with others
I think you don't realize that, a lot of people don't realize that until they're older.
Most people do not realize the importance of relationships and meaningful connections until later in life
I think there's going to be a backlash against technology.
The future will likely bring a backlash against our dependency on technology as a means to rediscover the value of personal connections and relationships
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: N. SAWHNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind