G.N.E - Bringing together history and awareness through music
When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue your interests in music?
Gurvinder Singh: When I was younger, I listened to music and it infused action and change within me and I knew it was a medium of change. That is why I wanted to immerse myself in this action and further my interest in music, because I saw it as a medium to bring change to the world.
Tanmit Singh: I have been listening to music ever since I was a little kid and it has always been a huge part of my life. But at about 16 or 17 years old I started writing my own music and started experimenting with different styles and different genres. I also diversified what I was listening to, exploring different genres, different artists and different styles. Ever since then I knew that I wanted to pursue music at a higher level.
How did you kick off your career and what influenced you to follow the path you chose?
Tanmit Singh: The career for G.N.E. actually kicked off at a Sikh Youth Camp in Michigan. That's when we first got together and realized that we both had very similar mentalities and a very similar way of thinking. That's when we first started jamming together and writing tracks together. Ever since then we've putting songs together and now we're working on our first project.
What projects are you currently involved in? What have you accomplished so far?
Tanmit Singh: There are tremendous amount of projects that we are working on currently. We are working on tracks with Tigerstyle, P. Oberoi, Immortal Shaheedi, L-Fresh, Mandeep Sethi, Young Fateh, Intellaflow, Majablaze, Ruff Riddems, etc. We are also working on our debut album, which we should be releasing in the near future.
Gurvinder Singh: We are also working on a music video. Everyone knows about the Right to Turban Campaign lead by the UNITED SIKHS organization. I've had the privilege to work on the campaign myself and when I spoke to Tanmit, we both felt that this was a cause that needed to be addressed and put in the mainstream media. The video is Directed and Produced by Sartaj Singh Dhami of Dashmesh Pictures and should be released in the near future as well.
Did you experience any difficulties as a sardar?
Tanmit Singh: The question is "Who doesn't?" Being a Sikh and practicing Sikhism, every single Sikh in this world faces things like discrimination, segregation, prejudice, racism all kinds of stuff. And it's a battle we have been fighting ever since day one and we will definitely keep fighting it till the end of time.
Gurvinder Singh: And it's through trials and tribulations that you build character. And that's what we feel. It's through God's grace that we are here and we definitely want to stride forward, and it's molded us.
What advice would you recommend for our upcoming generations of Sikhs?
Gurvinder Singh: I would say diversify your education, diversify your interest. I fully support being lawyers, doctors and engineers, but we need artists out there. We need journalists out there, we need individuals in broadcasting, in entertaining, we need singers and rappers and news anchors, and DJ's and we need the Sikh face to be in the mainstream media. Have the turban be in the mainstream and let everybody experience the talent our community has.
Tanmit Singh: Speaking of awareness, I would also recommend that the Sikh youth around world become more aware and more conscious about society around them, the communities around them. KNOW what is going on in your political systems, KNOW what is going on in your societies and make sure you are not following anything blindly. Because it's as easy as "If we cease to resist, then we cease to exist"
Gurvinder Singh: Become an activist. Be an active activist and not a passive activist. |