WOMAD

Bobby Friction and Nihal

From United Kingdom

Bobby Friction and Nihal are seriously busy chaps. If the pair were just known for their trailblazing Radio 1 show, that’d be reason enough to trumpet their contribution to the British-Asian experience. But that’s far from all they’ve achieved. Bobby rose to the surface in the late ’90s as a much-in-demand DJ at pioneering club nights like London’s Swaraj and Birmingham’s Shaanti and has since become a turntablist of global renown. He’s also an arch album compiler (his collection, Friction, stayed at number one for 14 weeks in the Indian charts in 2004) and has recorded with the excellent Black Star Liner. His pal Nihal possesses an equally varied CV and has worn the hats of club promoter, music journalist, TV presenter, DJ and rapper (collaborating with the likes of FunDaMental and Badmarsh & Shri). But no matter how crammed their diaries, they’re always delighted to spend a couple of hours behind the decks in each other’s company. You too should find a gap in your heavy schedule this weekend to grab yourself a big, fat slice of the latest Brit-Asian sounds.