Asian Dub Foundation: “Iggy Pop got a fine for us”
Legendary English group Asian Dub Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary of songs and fight. The music of the band could almost be considered a genre in itself in which the jungle rhythms, dub basslines and wild guitars, drawing on South Asian roots and militant rap. They will also celebrate the milestone with their Italian fans on a single date scheduled at the Social Center, in via Camillo Casarini, in Bologna, Saturday 21st September. The story begins in the early 90s, when Adf formed inside a musical laboratory in East London at Community Music, an institution that has always remained their spiritual home. These early moments not only shaped the collective’s sound, but also the mission it carries with it.
“Everything has changed since 1994but not the desire to be on stage, which is always different and mysterious, you never know what will happen until you get on it – he says Steve Chandra Savale – It wasn’t particularly difficult for us, in our history, to find connections between what are often thought to be incompatible genres, it all came very naturally. The solid roots in the reggae base create a recognizable coherence that allows all kinds of variations in the rest of the sound. Would there be less experimentation today in general? Well, there has always been music that is purely market oriented and there has always been music that is not.. There have been all sorts of fascinating combinations in recent years, it just depends on where you look. We do our part.” What to expect from Italy? “A very warm audience and the best food in Europeespecially for a vegetarian like me,” continues the musician. In the mid-90s they built a solid live reputation, until they gained worldwide recognition when they shared the stage with the Rage Against The Machine, the Beastie Boys and Primal Scream.
In their record productions they have collaborated with Radiohead, Sinead O’Connor, Iggy Pop, Adrian Sherwood and Chuck D. Furthermore, Adf were among the first groups to seriously dedicate themselves to cine-concerts, starting with their interpretation of the soundtrack of the classic French film “La Haine” in 2001. “Iggy Pop came to me after a show in Zagreb and said, ‘You’re a very hard artist to find,’” recalls Steve Chandra Savale. “That’s when the idea of a collaboration was born. I suggested remaking ‘No Fun’ because I thought it would work with a Bhangra beat, the idea was really to have a Bhangra/proto-punk combination to create something unique. with himself on vocals. A hilarious memory was when Iggy called me at home and told me he had taken a speeding ticket while he was demoing the song”. Another indelible memory is linked to “In 1000 Mirrors (ADF30 Remaster)”recently remastered, in which the group collaborated with Sinéad O’Connor.
“I still can’t believe that our generational icon closest to what Nina Simone representedsaid she wanted to sing a song that I had written the words and music for. I miss Sinéad so much. She was a rebel saint,” concludes Steve Chandra Savale. The Asian Dub Foundation, in addition to Known for their unpredictable and energetic concerts around the world, they have also released nine studio albums. They are a living, feverish and magical example of a music untied from the market, free as the flight of a bird of prey, and capable of still creating a sense of community not only through songs, but also around political and social battles in which they firmly believe.
