View source for Niraj Chag

{{Short description|British musician (born 1976)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
'''Niraj Chag''' is a London-based musical artist and composer. His musical style mixes Indian classical influences with contemporary stylings and layered, complex beats. Niraj's tracks were initially released on the [[Outcaste Records|Outcaste]] record label and later on his own Buzz-erk label. He has written and produced three albums released under his own name: ''Along the Dusty Road'' (2006), ''The Lost Souls'' (2009) and ''Mud Doll'' (2015).<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.nirajchag.com/find_out_more.php |title=Niraj Chag - Find out more |website=www.nirajchag.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915181125/http://www.nirajchag.com/find_out_more.php |archive-date=15 September 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Early life ==
Chag grew up in [[Southampton]], England.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2012-04-10 |title=New battle of Bollywood |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/new-battle-of-bollywood-7434335.html |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref> His family is Gujarati, and his parents moved to the UK from East Africa in the 1970s.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2015-06-24 |title=PODCAST: NIRAJ CHAG ON CREATING MUSIC & HIS NEW ALBUM MUD DOLL |url=https://kamlashow.com/2015/06/23/podcast-niraj-chag-on-creating-music-his-new-album-mud-doll/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=The Kamla Show |language=en}}</ref> His father worked on a bus and at a factory.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Making Soundwaves |url=https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/warwickshire/news/making-soundwaves/58735 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=www.whatsonlive.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> Chag started making music at age 11<ref name=":2" /> and was involved in various musical projects including a hip-hop group and his brother's Bollywood cover band.<ref name=":1" /> Rejected from multiple musical degree programs, Chag is a self-taught musician.<ref name=":3" />
== Career ==
=== Composing for Theater, Film, Radio, and TV ===
Niraj has worked on the British Asian musical ''Baiju Bawra'', which opened in London's Stratford East Theatre in 2002 and was adapted into a radio play by the BBC Asian Network in 2011<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/apr/07/baiju-bawra-review|title=Radio review: Baiju Bawra|date=7 April 2011|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> and numerous soundtracks, including, for television, the BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated ''[[Simon Schama's Power of Art|Power of Art]]'' (2007), ''The Age of Terror'' (BBC, 2008), ''Darwin's Dangerous Idea'' (BBC 2008), City Beneath The Waves: Pavlopetri<ref>{{Cite web|title=City Beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri (2011)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2433086/|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=4 August 2017}}</ref> (2011), ''[[Origins of Us]]'' (BBC, 2011), Jimmy and The Whale Whisperer<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jimmy and the Whale Whisperer (2012)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2433110/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ql_1|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=4 August 2017}}</ref> (Channel 4, 2012), ''[[Rise of the Continents]]'' (2013),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01993gc/profiles/music |title = BBC Two - Rise of the Continents - Bringing continents alive with mus… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140417192456/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01993gc/profiles/music |archive-date=17 April 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Our Girl]] (2013), ''[[Sex and the City]]'' (HBO, 2003), The Mystery of Romes X-Tomb (2013), Food Prices: The Shocking Truth (Channel 4, 2014), Worlds Busiest Railway (2015), Six Degrees Of Separation (2015), The Secrets Of Your Food (2017) and, for film, ''[[All in Good Time (film)|All in Good Time]]'' (2012).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1980911/|title=All in Good Time|accessdate=26 July 2020|website=IMDb.com}}</ref>
In 2007 he composed the music for the Olivier award-winning stage play ''[[Rafta Rafta]]'' ([[Royal National Theatre]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Stage / Listings / Rafta, Rafta |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/23417/rafta-rafta |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704200023/http://www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/23417/rafta-rafta |archive-date=4 July 2008 |access-date=17 January 2022 |website=www.thestage.co.uk}}</ref>
According to notes from his website Niraj has composed music for over 20 dance productions including [[Shobana Jeyasingh]]s Where Is Dev?/Classic Cuts<ref>{{Cite news |title=Dev Kahan Hai? / Where is Dev? |url=http://www.shobanajeyasingh.co.uk/works/dev-kahan-hai/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |work=Shobana Jeyasingh Dance |language=en-US}}</ref>([[Royal Opera House]], 2012).
In 2012, Niraj composed the music for the West End Musical ''Wah! Wah! Girls''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Laura |date=1 June 2012 |title=Wah! Wah! Girls, Peacock Theatre, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9306061/Wah-Wah-Girls-Peacock-Theatre-review.html |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> and the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]'s production of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spencer |first=Charles |date=1 October 2012 |title=Much Ado About Nothing, Noël Coward Theatre, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9579478/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-Noel-Coward-Theatre-review.html |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> In 2014, Niraj composed the music for [[West Yorkshire Playhouse|The West Yorkshire Playhouse]] production of ''The Jungle Book''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hickling |first=Alfred |date=5 January 2014 |title=The Jungle Book – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jan/05/jungle-book-west-yorkshire-review |access-date=4 August 2017 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and, in 2015, he composed the music for [[Royal National Theatre|The Royal National Theatre's]] production of ''Dara''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Dara {{!}} Review {{!}} Theatre {{!}} The Stage |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2015/dara-7/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |work=The Stage |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2017, he created the sound design and score for the [[RIFCO Arts]] production of ''Miss Meena and The Masala Queens''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miss Meena and the Masala Queens |url=https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/miss-meena-and-the-masala-queens/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=Watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk}}</ref> In 2018, he composed the music for ''The Captive Queen''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Captive Queen / Shakespeare's Globe |url=http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on-2018/the-captive-queen |access-date=2018-03-18 |website=Shakespearesglobe.com |language=en}}</ref> at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's on |url=https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/ |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Shakespeare's Globe}}</ref>
Having worked on the [[BBC Radio 4]] adaptations of The Mahabharata<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exile, Mahabharata, Classic Serial – BBC Radio 4 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007742k |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> and The Ramayana<ref>{{Cite web |title=Return, Amber Lone – The Ramayana, Classic Serial – BBC Radio 4 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vrbq7 |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Niraj collaborated with radio production company Wise Buddah to create the new station sound<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 September 2015 |title=Wise Buddah rebrands the BBC Asian Network |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/09/wise-buddah-rebrands-the-bbc-asian-network/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |website=Radiotoday.co.uk}}</ref> for the [[BBC Asian Network]] in 2015. In 2017 he created the music for one of [[BBC One|BBC 1's]] new '[[BBC One 'Oneness' idents|Oneness]]' idents featuring a troop of Bhangra dancers.
=== Albums ===
Niraj's first professional experience in music was working on [[Mark Hill (musician)|Mark Hill]]'s label. At age 19, Chag moved to Outcaste Records, a label that focused on releasing Asian music.<ref name=":1" /> Niraj released the single "Walk Alone" and contributed four tracks to the album ''Outcaste New Breed''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Various - Outcaste New Breed UK |url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Outcaste-New-Breed-UK/release/28744 |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Discogs.com}}</ref>
Chag worked on his debut album, ''Along the Dusty Road'' (2007)'','' for 3 years as a side project to his score composition work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Rahul |title=BBC - Music - Review of Niraj Chag - Along The Dusty Road |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6g25/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> The album includes songs in 6 different languages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Allie |last2=Mackay |first2=Elizabeth |date=2012-04-03 |title=World music review: Asia – The Concordian |url=https://theconcordian.com/2012/04/world-music-review-asia/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |language=en-CA}}</ref> In May 2006 he released "Bangles", the first song from his album ''Along the Dusty Road'', on the Buzz-erk label. According to notes from his website, "Bangles" was inspired by the journey his grandmother made in migrating to the UK from India via Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nirajchag.com/along-the-dusty-road/|title=Along The Dusty Road|website=Nirajchag.com|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>  "Bangles" and "Khwaab" attracted the attention of new fans less familiar with his earlier work,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ethnotechno.com/niraj_dustyroad.php|title=Niraj Chag :: Along the Dusty Road|website=Ethnotechno.com|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> both songs being playlisted on [[BBC]] and local radio stations<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/friction/playlist_archive_06_07_17.shtml|title=BBC - Asian Network - Friction|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>
The success of the tracks led to Niraj recording a BBC session at their [[Maida Vale Studios]], a live set at the inaugural [[BBC Electric Proms]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2006/asiannetwork/|title=BBC - Electric Proms - Asian Network night|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> and the song "Nomad" was selected to be the [[iTunes]] free download of the week in June 2006.
In 2006, Niraj won "Best Asian Underground" at the [[UK Asian Music Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.desihits.com/news/view/desi-hits-the-uk-amas-london-2006
|title=Desi hits the UK AMA's - London 2006
|website=Desihits.com
|accessdate=24 August 2010
|date=1 January 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311094336/http://www.desihits.com/news/view/desi-hits-the-uk-amas-london-2006
|archive-date=11 March 2011
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>
Chag's follow-up album ''The Lost Souls'' was released in early March 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/c2xm/|title=BBC - Music - Review of Niraj Chag - The Lost Souls|first=Jerome|last=Blakeney|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> featuring the singles "Baavaria" and "Ur Jaa." On 24 October 2009 Chag performed in concert with a live band at [[LSO St Luke's]] in London,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/cinema|title=What's on – Cinema &#124; Barbican|website=Barbican.org.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> followed by a concert at the [[CBSO Centre]] in Birmingham.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cbso.co.uk/|title=Latest News|website=City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra|accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>
Niraj's third album ''Mud Doll'' was released in June 2015 and featured the singles "Rang Diya" and "Sab Qurban".
In April 2010 Niraj launched a new online 'music and life' blog called EasternSoul.net with the intention of 'providing an alternative to the modern trend of throwaway "here today, gone tomorrow" music.' EasternSoul.net features a podcast, interviews and features on contemporary Asian musicians<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easternsoul.net/about-eastern-soul/ |title=About |publisher=Eastern Soul |accessdate=4 July 2010}}</ref>
==Discography==
* ''Outcaste New Breed'' (Outcaste Records, 1998) Chag contributed 4 tracks to this compilation
* ''Along the Dusty Road'' (Buzz-erk Group, 2006)
* ''Rafta Rafta Soundtrack Album'' (Buzz-erk Group, 2007)
* ''The Lost Souls'' (Buzz-erk Group, 2009)
* ''Mud Doll'' (Buzz-erk Group, 2015)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.nirajchag.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.easternsoul.net/ Eastern Soul]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chag, Niraj}}
[[Category:Asian Underground musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Musicians from London]]
[[Category:British people of Indian descent]]