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Chak de
phatte!Queen honours Bhangra singer Malkit Singh
 LONDON:
What will it be? Chak De Phatte or Balle Balle? That is a million
tune question now for B h a n g r a singer Malkit Singh who will be
greeting the British queen with one of his boisterous songs when he
meets her to receive his Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal.
Both the songs are examples of exuberance of the language. Malkit
Singh is the first Punjabi singer to figure in the prestigious
Queen’s Honours List, published twice every year to honour people
with a record of distinguished and long-standing service to the
nation or the community.
Born in Husseinpur village of Jalandhar district, he came to Britain
in 1984 from Punjab and cut his first album two years later - it
became a trailblazer as bhangra grew in popularity in dance halls
and nightclubs all over Britain. Malkit Singh was among a large
group of Asians figuring in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.
Others receiving similar honours include Mushtaq Ahmad for services
to local government in Lanarkshire, Sri Lankan-born BBC broadcaster
George Alagiah, Rajvinder Singh Kandola for services to
disadvantaged people and to diversity, Witharandeniye Kassapa for
services to the International Buddhist Relief Organisation,
Chennakesavalu Rajagopal of the Ministry of Defence, Mohammed Shahid
Raza for services to the Muslim community in Leicester, and Kasturi
Arachchi Ariya Saman Warna Kulasuriya for servicesto medicine.
Malkit Singh is most famous for the songs “Gur Nalo Ishq Mita”,
“Tootak Tootak Tootiyan”, “Kurri Garam Jayee”, as well as recently,
“Chal Hun”. Whilst “Jind Mahi” features in the blockbuster Bend It
Like Beckham soundtrack. He cites The Stone Roses and the 80’s
Manchester music scene as one of his early influences.
He has recently released “21st chapter” featuring the hugely popular
and classic “Jago Aaya”.
Singh and his backup band Golden Star have toured in twenty-seven
countries.
2 January 2008
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