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
Transmission
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel the sunshine from the radio
Disconnect my mind from traffic
Beaming through the London static
Shelter from the rain
Feel the sunshine from the radio
Feel the sunshine from the radio
Same old, same old, same old's all I hear
Hear the punch line on the radio
Hear the punch line on the radio
Voices weaving, smokescreen dreaming
Cold, deceiving, cloud my hearing
Shelter from the rain
Shelter from the rain
Sell the same line through the radio
Sell the same line through the radio
Through the airwaves
Daylight breaking
Empty promise, living, faking
Is this all there is
Radio
"Transmission" is a song that captures the mixed emotions of modern urban existence. The song talks about finding moments of solace amidst the chaos and noise of the world. The singer is seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city and is using the radio as a means to achieve that. The lyrics suggest that the radio can be a powerful tool that can bring hope and light into the dark corners of our lives.
The chorus, "Feel the sunshine from the radio. Disconnect my mind from traffic, Beaming through the London static, Shelter from the rain," resonates with anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the density of city life. The lines convey a sense of yearning for relief from the monotony of daily life, hoping to find some joy and hope through music. The song highlights a sense of frustration that comes from listening to the same old cliches, news and ads he is tired of hearing.
The song finds vibrancy in the city, even as it alienates the singer. The lyrics hint at a wider, more chaotic universe beyond this one, "Same old, same old, same old's all I hear." Nitin Sawhney and Tina Grace lyrically express an honest outlook of the disconnected and disillusioned young generation who, despite being surrounded by technology and communication, still feel isolated and dislocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel the sunshine from the radio
Experience warmth and positivity from the music on the radio
Disconnect my mind from traffic
Escape the stress of daily life
Beaming through the London static
Cutting through the noise and chaos of the city
Shelter from the rain
Finding solace and comfort in the music
Sycophantic, laughing, manic
The radio DJs are fake, insincere, and overly enthusiastic
Same old, same old, same old's all I hear
The songs and content on the radio are repetitive and unoriginal
Hear the punch line on the radio
Listen to jokes and humor on the radio
Voices weaving, smokescreen dreaming
Distorted sounds and messages on the radio
Cold, deceiving, cloud my hearing
The lies and deceitfulness of the media create confusion and uncertainty
Sell the same line through the radio
The same ideas and perspectives are constantly promoted on the airwaves
Through the airwaves
Traveling through the radio frequencies
Daylight breaking
A new day is beginning
Empty promise, living, faking
The radio makes empty promises and perpetuates a culture of inauthenticity
Is this all there is
Radio
The singer questions whether the narrow and shallow world of the media is all that life has to offer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARCO (GROUPE FFF) PRINCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind