in association with BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra 

Bobby Friction & Nihal on Radio 1

 In association with BBC Radio 1, the Arts Council and Continental Drifts’ Global Local. BBC Radio 1 DJs Bobby Friction and Nihal will be hosting the London Flavas stage, bringing you the best Urban Asian beats and flavas from around the world.
 
This will the sixth year that Bobby and Nihal have hosted a stage at the London Mela. Continental Drifts Global Local project is dedicated to the promotion of 21st Century Asian and Global remix culture.

Bobby Friction and Nihal’s weekly Urban Asian show is on BBC Radio 1 every Wednesday, midnight-02.00.
 
BOBBY FRICTION
The Bobby Friction Show is a mixture of leftfield Asian Underground beats and phone-in madness, as well as a controversial weekly debate show. Bobby, from West London, also has a weekly slot on Radio 1 copresenting with DJ Nihal. Bobby is a hugely influential figure on the Asian club scene and a sought after broadcaster who won a Sony award in 2005 for his documentary on the General Election. He is a recognised specialist in British Asian Music and gained success with his chart topping first compilation for the Indian market, Friction. Catch The Bobby Friction Show on Asian Network every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 10pm- 1am
 
NIHAL
Nihal has written for Asiana, Eastern Eye, The Face, Mixmag, Hip Hop Connection and The Observer - and PR’d for artists as diverse as Nitin Sawhney, Judge Jules, Mos Def, Beenieman and Elton John. He has rapped with Fun Da Mental, Badmarsh & Shri, Mentor, Sona Family, and DJ Sanj as well as DJ-ing and hosting at his own monthly club night Bombay Bronx and at festivals and clubs all over the UK and internationally. Nihal has been working in television for nine years and has presented all three series of BBC2’s flagship Asian music, lifestyle, and arts show Desi DNA alongside Adil Ray and Anita Rani.
 
TAIO CRUZ
This precocious British-born 23 year-old, signed to Universal, has already cut a swathe through the upper echelons of the American music industry. Taio has written for Usher, Mya, Britney Spears, and Esseme – the first signing to Justin Timberlake’s new label. Taio also wrote and produced the debut single Let Me See Dat, for new Island/Def Jam US artist Vawn as well as tracks for Vawn’s new album, and has also been working with Mark Ronson protégé Daniel Merriweather. Now his own beautifully polished debut album Departure is poised to establish Taio Cruz as a real name to conjure with.
 
 
THE SOUNDPIPE RECORDS CREW featuring BEE2 & TAJ-E
 Bee2 is a world renowned performer, singer, musician, director and producer. His company The Sound Pipe Ltd, is a dynamic music, film and entertainments company. Bee2 continues to push for new sounds with a level of maturity in his production skills that gels instantly with the mood evoked by his tracks. Taj-E is one of the youngest music producers in the UK and received a platinum award for his album Look Again. He plays many instruments – alto saxophone, drums and piano - and the influence of his brother Bee2 steered him in the direction of rhythm and to India where he learned to play the Mandil.
 
NATHAN ‘FLUTEBOX’ LEE with full band
 With his trademark live fluteboxing (beatboxing and playing the flute at the same time) Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee’s explosive blend unites Hip Hop, Drum’n’Bass and Breakbeats with Indian classical, Jazz and Funk melodies. He is an ‘Emerging Artist In Residence’ at the Royal Festival Hall and has collaborated live and in the studio with the likes of The Prodigy, Nitin Sawhney, Asian Dub Foundation and Beardyman. In his spellbinding live show he is joined by an astounding array of musicians from all parts of the globe...Niki Mukhi (flamenco guitar), WanDan (human beatbox), Hanif Khan (tabla) and rapper Skrein (from the UK’s leading Hip Hop crew – Foreign Beggars). Jump up or stroke your chin – the choice is yours!
 
NERM & D-CODE
Nerm and D-Code have played several London residencies, festivals and international tours while appearing on radio and TV worldwide, as part of Shiva Soundsystem. Nerm hosts Electro East, the experimental Drum’n’Bass show on Asian Network (Saturday nights, midnight-2am), breaking many new artists, exclusives and musical barriers. D-Code has remixed tracks for Asian Dub Foundation and Riz MC amongst many others. Hear his production work in every Drum‘n’bass club in the world with plays from Fabio, Andy C and London Elektricity, as well as support from DJs Pete Tong, Huw Stephens, Bobby Friction, Nihal and Colin Murray. Catch the duo’s show ‘In New DJs We Trust’ on Radio 1
 
DUTTY SKILLA
Musician and producer Dutty Skilla fuses an astounding array of beats and sounds from raw Hip Hop and melodic R&B to exciting up-tempo Grime and anything in between.