BEST OF NITIN SAWHNEY

EDITOR'S HOT PICKS 1. Prophesy 2. All Mixed Up 3. Human 4. Migration 5. Beyond Skin

"I started in the studio with the bones of the album, then went round the world to find its soul". So Nitin Sawhney describes the creation of Prophesy, the fifth and most remarkable album of his career, and my personal favourite. Like its predecessors, Prophesy is no ordinary record. Like them it entwines profound social and spiritual themes with a daring mixture of musical genres, tumbling with ease through Indian classical, flamenco rap, drum'n'bass and samba. And like them it affirms Nitin as one of Britain's most original and gifted musicians, one able to meld the cultural barriers between east and west, between classicism and popularity, between clubland and music from around the world. His latest remixed album 'All Mixed Up' is another favourite. It combines the spirit of Sawhney's globe-trotting sound with each of the remixer's own individual vibes. In 'Human', Sawhney takes the listener through a journey of life via a trip-hop inspired track featuring the truly awesome lead vocal talents of British-born Reena Bhardwaj. In at number four would be his 1995 album 'Migration', followed closely by 'Beyond Skin'. Nitin Sawhney is a remarkble talent and I forsee that you'll want at least one of his albums in your collection. Click here to check out all the Nitin Sawhney CDs we have in stock.

ABOUT NITIN SAWHNEY

Nitin Sawhney was born to Indian parents in Rochester, Kent, a strong-hold for the National Front in the 70's. Music brought a welcome relief. He studied Law at Liverpool University where he met Sanjeev Bhaskar. They created the comedy 'Secret Asians' which spawned the BBC award-winning TV series 'Goodness Gracious Me'. After a tour with the James Taylor Quartet, he formed 'The Jazz Tones' and collaborated with tabla player Talvin Singh in the 'The Tihai Trio'. Since his debut solo album, Spirit Dance in 1993, his musical impetus to create a new Indo-western fusion has evolved apace. Migration (1995), Displacing the Priest (1996), Beyond Skin (1999) and Prophesy (2001) each explore religion, politics and the complexities of the Anglo-Asian experience.

Recognition has come accordingly via a Mercury Music award nomination and the South Bank Show Award for Beyond Skin, a MOBO Award & a BBC Radio 3 Award for Prophesy. He's had two commissions from the BBC Proms and has written for artists the world over including Sinead O'Connor and Paul McCartney. In addition, he's produced the Algerian Rai maestro, Cheb Mami and re-mixed for Sting as well as composing film and TV scores. With celebrities like Madonna name-checking his work, Nitin Sawhney's musical vision 'to open up to different ways of looking at the world' is assured for the foreseeable future.

He's created scores for movies (the Dance of Shiva) with more in the pipeline, TV documentaries (BBC's The Sikhs, C4 Triumph of the Nerds), and plays (at The National Theatre and Stratford East). Nitin has also found time to run workshops, to teach in schools, and to lecture on the Open University - to put back something into a society which, when he was growing up in the 1970's, didn't have much time for him. As the only Indian kid in his Rochester secondary school, Nitin endured daily racist abuse, from which music offered one respite. Even then he found himself barred from the music room by a teacher who belonged to the National Front. But then, as one of Nitin's phrases has it, "From oppression comes expression".

Click here to check out all the Nitin Sawhney CDs we have in stock.