From Bradford to Bollywood, Rhythm Dhol Bass or RDB have been entertaining millions of people around the world with their fusion of Bhangra and Western music. Their catchy Hip Hop/Garage music style is infused with Punjabi lyrics and Dhol beats.
The three Sikh brothers from Bradford, affectionately described by themselves and their fans as “the three turbaned brothers”, also run a music productions company.
Pukaar News spoke exclusively to two of the brothers, Manjeet Ral and Surinder Singh.
They were friendly and easy going, and spoke of their “feeling of achievement” about what they have accomplished. Not only have they worked with Akshay Kumar and Snoop Dogg, they have also helped unknown artists get their music heard.
Asked how they came up with the name RDB, Surinder smiles, “We just did what Punjabis do and stuck a Dhol in it”.
They told Pukaar News how they have always been a family business. The three of them have worked together since they set up the business in 2001. Manjeet is now based in Canada and runs their Toronto office and Surinder and the eldest brother Kuly work from their family home in Bradford. Other members of the family help them with their business. Their father writes the lyrics for their songs and Manjeet’s wife Nindi has recently started performing onstage with them.
Not only have they performed worldwide, playing music as far away as Kenya and Hong Kong, they have also written scores for films such as Singh is Kinng and Cooking with Stella. They told Pukaar News they always expect to work within music. Surinder said, “Music is a big industry and a lot of people are interested. This is what we know. You are best at what you do”.
