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HINDI POP LABEL LAUNCH FOR SHAMAILA KHAN DEBUT The fast-growing UK Hindi Pop music scene welcomes a major label launch in spring 2004. KGN Records is the latest brand from acclaimed Hindi Pop producer and solo bhangra artist Rajan Bawa. The label kicks off in March with a debut release from singer SHAMAILA KHAN, described by Bawa as the ‘find of the century’. "Her album constitutes the biggest project of my career," he says. "I don’t have any doubt that she is going to be big." Khan’s album – "Oi!" (KGN; KGN0786) - is released March 15 2004. Further KGN releases expected in 2004 include soundtracks to Hindi films "Lips" (named after one of Bawa’s record labels) and "Mere Baap Ki Shadi Hai", both produced and directed by Bollywood veteran, Vicky Ranawat for Khushi Films. Also in production is the follow-up to the massively successful debut by bhangra solo artist SKI; debut albums from Deip and from Dinesh Kumar as well as Rajan Bawa’s own latest Hindi pop release. KGN - devised for high profile acts like Khan - follows in the footsteps of previous Bawa labels RBM and Lips. It is complemented by a yet to be named mid-price label releasing further bhangra, Hindi pop and east/west fusion dance titles at a rate of one album per month.
BIOGRAPHY About SHAMAILA KHAN – singer, dancer Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Shamaila Khan moved with her family to west London. Gifted with brains as well as beauty, she took an armful of GCSE passes and graduated from the University of London with a degree in business and marketing studies. Early work experience with her father as an Assistant Producer making documentaries, dramas and films brought her sound knowledge of the media industry, backed by marketing work in publishing. "It broadened my business and public relations experience," she says. "I knew if would come in useful when it came to dealing with the music business!" TV beckons Shamaila was picked to present a live show at one of the leading Asian satellite TV channels. This brought her a first taste of fandom, but nothing in comparison with the attention heaped on her after winning Miss Asia UK in 2001. "That was the real stepping stone towards achieving my targeted career," she recalls. "After winning Miss Asia I was offered a heroine role in a Bollywood film. I know most people would jump at this because it connects you to such a massive audience. But after serious consideration, I decided not to pursue acting as a career." Shamaila was always singing in school and had a lot of encouragement from my teachers and her close knit family. "I didn’t want to choose the path that everybody does, singing here and there and finally getting noticed. I guess I was on a fast track," she recounts. "I have always believed in education and knew I needed and wanted professional training. So the first task was to find professional producers and get across to them my ambitions." She admits it was tough going, but … Rajan Bawa "I heard a lot about London-based Bollywood music director, Rajan Bawa. I found his music very interesting - quite unusual and different. And at that time (1990) his work with SK1 was number one in the charts and drawing plenty of praise. "A family friend knew somebody who was a close friend of Rajan and I asked if he would introduce me to him. "He promised me that he would take me to his studio. I was over the moon, driving to the studio and asking, "are you sure he will see us?", and he was assuring me, "Yes, yes, yes, don’t worry!" "But he didn’t see us that day and we had to find another. And he didn’t see us on the second appointment! "Third time lucky - after waiting two hours in the car, he took us in the studio. I was very nervous and he was very polite and came straight came to the point, "What can I do for you?" "After a long discussion, we left empty-handed. He refused to work with me. Perseverance pays Shamaila didn’t give up. Now she knew where the studio was, she gathered all the courage she could, rang the door bell and when he saw her: "I got straight to the point too, blurting out "I want you to produce my album!". "He looked at me and smiled and said: "I explained myself very well, did I miss anything?" "No, you did not miss anything", I replied, "but you are the only one who will produce my album! I know, I know but that’s enthusiasm and determination!" "After a long pause he said," Okay, sing me a song!" and I sang a favourite. He listened patiently and then said, "you have a good voice but you need to learn technique". And that was it! "I dropped everything and focused myself on singing. With his guidance, over the next two years, I took training from two music teachers, one English and one Indian. Rajan took me through the studio and mike-trained me. "And finally I got into the studio at KGN and we started laying tracks down for Oi!" BIOGRAPHY About RAJAN BAWA, Singer, producer Raja Bawa believes SHAMAILA KHAN to be a ‘find of the century’. "Her album constitutes the biggest project of my career," he says. "I don’t have any doubt that she is going to be big. This girl is going to rule the hearts of fans for years to come." Born in Lahore, Pakistan, "with a multi-functional chip fitted to my mother board", Rajan Bawa was a child musical prodigy When his family moved to the city of Gujranwala, the precocious five-year old was singing live at city shows with full orchestra under the (perhaps inevitable) stage name of ‘Baby’. Whilst untrained, he won a spot singing on Lahore Radio. Before be could even start however, the tragic death of his father prompted the family’s relocation to Karachi. Armed with the letter of appointment from Lahore Radio’s music director, the young man strode in Karachi Radio and promptly became a radio singer for that station instead. Career crossroads Over the next few years, Rajan’s career burgeoned into theatre and TV acting. Whilst this career development was satisfying up to a point it’s lack of challenge made for a restless soul. This reached a head when, four months off graduation from PCSHS College, Karachi and faced with the responsibility for resolving his family’s poor financial circumstances, Rajan accepted a job offer in Saudi Arabia. This move away from music and theatre was not a happy one for the young man and a year and half later, he moved to London. The city was to prove to be Rajan Bawa’s ‘music nest’. "I liked the people and the fact they welcomed new ideas. I saw the future," he says. A new start He started a small recording business in 1989, writing and producing the aptly-titled ‘Hello Hello’ and releasing it on his own label. The album sold well, with one song promptly copied by an established singer on the Hindi music scene and released on a major label. "I didn’t mind," remarks Rajan. "I realised I was on the right track." He forged on, recording another four albums of Hindi love songs and then moving into recording Hindi TV film music. Whilst recording and acting in the first of these in Bombay, Rajan accepted a commission to make his first pop album (‘Pani Ka Bulbula’; released Tips, India 1994). Bollywood and Bhangra beckon "I was working in the studio on this one day when a guy came in and asked for me. He was a Bollywood film director called Vicky Ranawat and he wanted me to write a film score for his latest production." Excited at the prospect of being associated with the massive Bollywood film industry, Rajan got into the new project and was rewarded with a hit score for the film (‘15th August’). "The album had six songs on it and four of these charted in India and got to number one in the UK Indian music charts," he recalls. Back in London, Rajan’s career lifted as his TV film songs were released scoring him another chart success with one of his own songs, sung by him. With another two Bollywood albums underway, he built a 32 track digital studio in west London and moved into recording Bhangra music on his two labels Lips and RBM. His hit album (‘Sugar Shack’) with performer SK1 was another success. "Two songs off the album charted and stayed there for eight months with one of them at number one for eight weeks," says Rajan. He went on to record his own bhangra album (‘Chan Makhana’) and signed to a further three Bollywood films as music producer. It was 1999. Shamaila "One day - right in the middle of all this intensive activity - a friend comes into the studio with this beautiful young girl and tells me he wants me to produce her debut Hindi pop album. The fact was I was really busy and told him I didn’t have time to work on new acts." Nonetheless, Rajan relented on the proviso that he could work the release into his own schedule. "They said yes, fine, you can make the album in a year or even two year’s time if necessary, just as long as you make it. Looking back, I am very glad I did." "Young, beautiful and determined," is how Raja Bawa sums up Shamaila Khan. "When I first met her at the studio I simply hoped that her voice matched up with everything else about her. She went in to the singing booth and God, it turned to be the voice I had been looking for the last twenty years. "It was full of weight, expression, passion, performance. I could not believe it. But I knew there was some way to go. "I asked her, how hard can you work? And she just said, ‘put me on test and then make a decision.’ "After two hard years of training and grooming, she is a singer with everything: personality, beauty, talent." December 2003 www.shamailakhan.com
Information released on behalf of KGN Records by Singsong Entertainment Publicity
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