Based around the song writing partnership of Saira Hussain and Steve Ager Trickbaby has evolved into a genuinely unique band. Described as an East/West soundclash, Saira cites influences from contemporary Western music through to Bollywood movie classics.
Trickbaby's debut single, 'Indi-Yarn' received massive mainstream media attention. It reached *46 in the British national chart, was the first Hindi language single to be playlisted at Radio One and was their morning show’s record of the week for a record three weeks. At this point Trickbaby, jumped off the conveyor belt and evolved the Trickbaby sound on their own creative terms, playing live in Europe and the US, and setting up their own label, Chachaman Records.
Regular live excursions have become a major part of the Trickbaby armoury. They played at the BBC's Mega Mela at Birmingham NEC in front of 30,000, at the 'Malai' festival at Sound in Leicester Sq, which was broadcast on BBC2, and have played in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada and The Far East. BBC Radio 4 has even broadcast a 30 min documentary about Trickbaby. Trickbaby music has appeared on Jenson Button's website, Sky Sport's cricket coverage, BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, MTV, Virgin Radio and BBC Radio 1 and 2.
In 2004, following massive media support for Neelaa after its inclusion on Outcaste’s Asian Flavas album, particularly at Radio One, Trickbaby released their debut album ‘Hanging Around’ on their own Chachaman label. 5 stars in OK, Mojo, Eastern Eye and great reviews in The Times, Observer and in all the main Asian press resulted in Trickbaby signing licensing deals around the world, including EMI’s Far East head office in Hong Kong. Immediately MTV in the SE Asia region made Trickbaby artist of the month on their Alert programme and subsequently playlisted the band’s self produced Slipping Through Your Fingers video (which features members of the GB synchronised swimming team). Trickbaby appeared on BBC2’s Desi DNA, Saira started a regular column in Eastern Eye’s entertainment section and 3 Trickbaby songs were used in the Indian movie Hyderabad Blues 2, which proved to be the catalyst for a love affair between Trickbaby and Hindi cinema. Virgin UK released a compilation album ‘Asian Beat Bazaar’ devised and compiled by Trickbaby and the band toured India in October, including a performance at MTV’s prestigious Style Awards.
2005 proved to a big year for Trickbaby as Rohan Sippy asked the band for songs for his movie Bluffmaster (released Dec 05), starring Abishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra, which has gone on to become one of the biggest modern Indian movies of recent times. Sabse Bada Rupaiya/Bluffmaster – the title track , a new Trickbaby track based around the original 1970’s Mehmood song was a huge hit in the Indian diaspora. Neelaa, Indi Yarn and a reworked Hindi version of Nine Parts Of Desire also had key roles in the film.
2006 and Trickbaby’s love affair with Bollywood continued as they wrote the title track to Ashok Thakeria’s movie ‘Pyare Mohan’, starring Esher Deol, Amrita Rao, Fardeen Khan and Vivek Oberoi. The band spent the rest of 2006 and 2007 writing and recording their long awaited second album ‘Chor Bazaar’ named after a market in Mumbai famous for selling stolen goods.
Released in march 2008 on Wrasse records, Chor Bazaar features 12 songs, and guest appearances by Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz (voc), Sergey Ryabtzev (Violin), and Yuri Lemeshev (Accordian), as well as Marcella Detroit (harmonica). The band have made two videos. Video one to a reworked Nine Parts Of Desire is produced by Ramesh Sippy (director of Sholay – the biggest Indian movie of all time), directed by Rohan Sippy (his son, who directed Bluffmaster) and starring Abishek Bachchan (son of Indian legend Amitabh Bachchan) and Priyanka Chopra (ex Miss World, one of India’s leading female actresses). Video two to first single ‘Fighter’ is an extraordinary animation by Mox, a director well known for his work with Ninja tunes, and especially Coldcut.
Trickbaby's music is now in over 2 million homes worldwide in the Indian Diaspora via their various movie soundtracks, compilations and of course their own 'Hanging Around' album. The story and cast that make up Chor Bazaar should ensure 2008 will continue Trickbaby’s extraordinary journey.
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