Fun-Da-Mentalists

Amar D Dhindsa
Jun 16, 1998
Interview with Aki from the hard hitting British Asian band Fun-Da-Mental


"You ask me to be calm and you turn and twist the knife

If the knife was in my hand, you'd have me banned.

It's time for a of the mind,

A to save mankind.

Fifty million slaves killed by your ancestors

The of Black by the plantation owner

Twenty million Indians wiped out for the stars and stripes

Five centuries of oppression cost how many lives?

Pacifism is not a solution"


Bullet Solution - Fun-Da-Mental

When black and white clash the result is Fun-Da-Mental. They demolish
the popular misconception of the passive Asian going on with life with
down-cast eyes. Their lyrics crash head-on with the world wide social
and political marginalisation of people of colour. Their erodes
boundaries blending classical Asian rhythm with the dub of Caribbean
and the backbeat of hip-hop. The rhythm sucks you in, the lyrics jar
you. You are the captive audience. Fun-Da-Mental is a reactionary
group of confused angry young men trying to make sense of a world
which regards them as less-than. They stand up and challenge the
authority of the dominant ideology. This is none too obvious when you
see them live: two bald vocalists patrol the stage sweating, swearing,
venting their rage. They demand a level playing field for tomorrow's
people. In short, they want to be counted as one among the equals.

I caught up with Aki of Fun-Da-Mental, when they were touring in
Australia in March of this year:


How did Fun-Da-Mental get started out?

Fun-da-mental began from a trip to New York in 1990. I went across
there and met up with alot of people and started reading up about alot
of Black politics. I realised that there were real similarities
between the African American experience and the Asian experience in
England. There was a lot of misinformation around, a lot of ,
a lot of patronising and a lot of things that were taken for granted. There
weren't enough subversive voices. I was involved with so I
decided to set up a musical project which is very vocal about issues
that affect us. And to make sure it is uncompromising and
hard-hitting. Hard-hitting in that it is reactionary and extreme. The
most important thing is that it's reactionary.


So basically Fun-da-mental is a reactionary group against white
in England?

It's much more than that its global. It's a common story. It's a
common thread that runs within the whole globe when it comes to people
of colour. The whole imbalance in the way it's viewed. The way issues
are dealt with. People have a glazed look in their eyes when they have
to deal with these issues. They are not resolving their past. It's
very very sad because it doesn't help young people to get together. It
creates tension and friction between white and people with
colour. Neither is it fair on white people nor people of colour.


What kind of voice did people of colour, especially Asians have prior
to say reactionary groups such as Fun-da-mental?

I came from an area in Bradfod which is a very heavy Asian area. There
was always some organization which existed to combat certain types of
. The only problem is that, because we were relatively new
people to that land, there was a within the community to
get involved with too much subversion.


There is a myth about passiveness. I don't think its passive. Our
parents are much more clever than we accredit them for. They just thought
we just keep our heads down and sort out our security rather than get
too involved at this point in time because this isn't the right
time. It's ironic that it is them now who are perceived as the
fanatical extremists. They have got involved with their culture,
roots, and also in politics. It's through the temples, the
mosques, the gurduwaras that there was alot of political subversion
going on which has been instigated by the generation which were quiet
and clever.


They were infiltrating the system from within?


Yeah. Now that they have got older and have sorted out their kids
futures they have formed a firm base from which to operate from. That
is very important because a lot of young Asian people in the process of
growing up rebel and get involved in white society. When you grow up a
bit you realise that things aren't so black and white as they
seem. When that process happens in your mind there are organisations
which absorb the shock of your realization. They say, "yeah
we've been through the same thing". A lot of these organisations if
anything are therapeutic.


Have these ideas been going through your mind for a long time before
you set up Fun-da-mental?


Yeah, yeah. As I was growing up I was apologizing for what I was and
who I was. Your name creates a problem. You want to change your name
just to get on with kids at school. I think I did suffer from quite a
bit of but I didn't really know it was . I was too young
to know what it was. All I know was that I felt inferior.


Do you feel that you are part of a new generation of people who have
to define their own identities? Your parents may have had their
handed down through , , national . But
people like you were born outside of all of this to an extent. There
is an obvious tension regarding . Do your parents understand
that?


I think the problem with the older generation is that we understand
them, they don't understand us. Alot of young Asian people, I am
generalising here, but it does seem to fit, they end up going away from
it but they indulge in their own culture and like their
parents are doing, but in a different way. And if anything, I think in
a better way because they have all these issues to deal with the
culture, because our culture as beautiful as it is, has also horrible
elements. What they are doing is getting rid of the horrible elements
and getting a real balance in that.


People go, "Oh well we take a little bit of the West and a little bit
of the East". I don't think it's that. They take a lot of the east,
remove the horrible elements and apply a little common sense to it.


Do you acknowledge that you are from a hybrid culture somewhere
between the East and the West?


No, not really. I never say I am British Asian. I the term
British Asian. Putting the word British before Asian is like putting a
little of the medicine to make British people feel a little bit
better. I'm Asian. I've got no problem with that. I don't really buy
that because I think it's part of the progression. People who have
never even tasted anything from the West get , they get satellite,
they get influenced by progression. Whether it is negative or
positive, I don't know but you don't have to be in the West to be
influenced by it.


Have you ever played in or ?


We are just about to play in . We've been asked to play as
part of the celebration of the 50 years of , sorry,
independence ... 50 years of independent .


What do you think will be the reaction to your lyrics because in
counties like and being called black is like cursing
someone. People don't acknowledge that they are infact black, they
would rather think that they are white. Also things like black is bad
etc..

That exists really powerfully and its a really pathetic thing. It's
existed from colonialism. But it exists on a superficial level. Not
like in the West were decisions are based on your colour. In countries
like and decisions are based on how much money you
have. It exists. All you can do is go there create a platform.


Recently I was in and did interviews on television and we
talked about these issues. People said, "but its only a joke". I said,
its not funny because people actually feel inferior because of it.

It's a whole current that accepts this , the film industry,
the advertising companies and the . They have advertisements for
things like whitening creams. It exists in my . When I go back
to my village they say, "woho theek hai, woho thora goora hai"
(he's okay, he's a little
white) or "Uskaa rang goora hai" (His complexion is fair/white). A new
baby is born and they say, "Woho thora kaala hai"(It's complexion is a
little black). That's just pathetic. You just voice it when
you hear it. You say what a pathetic thing to say.

It's just about applying common sense. I think it's good now because
Asians outside of their countries don't really like it. So they are
expressing that. Its just a process of dismantling it. This is a
beginning and hopefully people will start dealing with it.

How does cultural and religious imperialism effect Asians outside Asia?


It's weird when I was in I see middle-class people who know
more about English history and history rather than their
own. It's the imbalance in the system in that we keep using
the goal posts of a Europe. Saying if you aren't educated in Europe
your is of no worth. You have to look far back into our own
system of . They were far more progressive
educationally. Whether you look to Sikhism, , or Hinduism, you
see century old temples and universities and schools of thought. All
these things existed but there aren't enough people talking about it.


The western system curriculum doesn't involve common sense,
wisdom or how to live on the streets. It's just a book. I know people
who are far more educated than me but they don't know shit about what
goes on and they are the first to admit it. They have got a little
capacity in their brain so they can take in reading in their memories
and they can get through their exams but they
can't get through life. I think it's sad that we
put Western on a pedestal and worship it.


The educated elite in are still being taught by the descendants
of the missionaries. They are still carrying on their work as
missionaries. Do you see any sort of change coming out of it?


I think that now people are becoming more aware of this. They are opening
up and becoming vocal about it. The missionaries did a wicked job.
The of was written by the English and why are
they not dismantling it? It's really pathetic.


The entire global political criteria and agenda is one sided. The
layman on the street is dwarfed and blinded by it. When they choose
their representative, they choose them on the basis of their financial
power. Why are they doing this? They should be choosing people who
actually care about them. Not by how many houses they have got and how
many cars, rupees or factories they have got.


Do you think people are realizing this? Like the last election in
there was a 27 percent voter turn out.


It's 27 percent too much. I don't think that anybody should have voted. I
think there should have been a massive protest. People should change
the whole outlook on it. People actually know what they want but when
it comes down to it they don't sort it out and organize then
selves. Then again they have problems: economic, social, debt. Their
burdens are too heavy. So who is going to get up and change it?


One of the things that is amazing about countries like and
is that the expresses so much. I can express myself
so much better in Urdu or Punjabi because there are so many more words
and so many ways of approaching expression. The thing is that nobody
has got the time and who is going to understand me if I go out
speaking in Urdu.


You speak Urdu and Punjabi, but what do you think in?


I think in English. I dream in English. I my . I'd
to dream in Urdu. It's not being nationalistic. I think both
and are full of bullshit. I think fascism exists. The way the
economies are run and the way people are being misinformed, misled,
is being abused. I think that is so sad. It's totally
unnecessary. I'm as critical of our own culture as I am of Western
culture.


What do you think the reaction to your lyrics will be when you perform
in ? Fun-da-mental's lyrics say what they have to without
being ambiguous.


We might get shot. I don't know, its difficult to say. We have been
told that we can't play in front of the common man because of
violence. If the ticket prices are really cheap you are going to get
people coming I with guns and things like that. So we have to play to
this elitist class. But then maybe its the elitist class is the one
that needs changing.


Don't you think they are in the best position to change things?

Well it's always the elitist class which has the platform. If you want
to create rebellion and subversion it's the elitist classes that you
target because the poor people don't have the time. For them it's a
burden just to eat. It's these more powerful people that you have to
change. If you can get a young kid to go home and say to their parents
"You said this yesterday, I know you were wrong but I was too scared to
say it". To empower people with common sense.


I suppose its better that you are playing to the middle class because
they are the ones who will understand your lyrics.


Yes, they are more educated in that sense. They might just understand
it or they might just go, "Oh well". Politics isn't running through
at this stage although it has existed for centuries.

What do you think about the growing industry in ?

It,s getting massive. It,s really good. The is up for criticism
but at least the catalyst is there. Let it just ferment a bit, let it
build a bit, hopefully then elements of politics and protest will come
into . When it comes in, it makes a big difference on creativity.

It doesn't have to be politics in your face. Mohammed Raffi and Lata
are talking about politics anyway. If you look back at Lata's tracks
she talking about the suffering of the poor and things like this. Even
. Why is it that has such a big part in songs? It's because
its oppressive. You are oppressed. You are not aloud to . It's
quite sad.


In musicians aren't respected. I believe every musician in
should go to . At least they'll get more respect. They
won't get walked over. The problem in is they don't want to
respect musicians. They just want to be entertained and then they want
them thrown out. They don't realise what that kind of form
creates, industry, jobs, tourism. is really lacking in the
form and it's got a beautiful form.


Why do you think there is this dearth of original in ?


Well the original always existed in the form of classical Indian
. It's at its early stages at the moment. You have to understand
that all they are hearing isn't any of the underground . They
aren't hearing any Brian Eno or mad stuff from the West. When they
watch MTV they are seeing George Michele, Whitney Houston, Jethro Tull
and things like that. They say, "Let's be a bit
like that". But when their ears and eyes start to see something more
underground, which will come, then they will take their own tradition
and their own culture and throw it into that .


Fun-da-mental is a real fusion for tradition and . Are there
any similar bands to Fun-da-mental in England?

Yeah there's loads. There's alot more. Even
before Fun-da-mental there was Joy, Asian Dub Foundation, TJ Remmy,
Hustlers, The Door foundation, Second Gen, Made in Britain, Talvin
Singh. There's loads. There's lots of
experimentation going on.


What has been the reaction to your in England?

On a profile thing its been really big. But as far as sales goes its
not that great. Selling this kind of doesn't work if
you're Asian and doing it. They have accepted
Afro-Caribbean's doing it but not Asians.


What would you put down as your influences?

Everything and anything influences. It could be musical, political,
personal, even a discussion could influence you. When you
around you get influenced by everything around. You are forever being
influenced. The important thing is to make sure you are doing it for
the right reasons and you are not diluting it and you are actually in
control of it.


We don't work with the restrictions a lot of Western bands work
with. A lot of bands have like a pigeon hole, a little space and they
only want to work in that space. We just come from all extremes. If
you look at tracks like Mother which is very soft and then the
last single 'Goddevil' which is like in-your-face. It throws people
off. They want Fun-da-mental to be simple and understandable but its
not because if anything we are confused. It's extreme, it's reactionary,
it's all these things.


It's not just about Asian people its about everybody. If anything I
feel sorry for white people because they don't
have that spiritual and cultural connection. But then I think if I
have got it has also got its negative parts. What do you want? Its
like one extreme or the other. When you are putting together you
are challenging these extremes. You go from , harmony and
to , confrontation and anger. I think that's great.


So you challenge your own culture as well as everybody else?


Absolutely. I really my but I think it's really been
abused and mishandled. It does my head in. I can't understand why
anyone is using it to create animosity between other religions.


People don't want to other people but they get pushed when things
happen to them personally. If you are a Muslim in and something
happens to your members, say from the BJP, then you are going
to join up with an extreme Muslim group or the example could be the
other way around. You have to take it on board that things effect
people personally. Organizations exist to create divisions. There
aren't enough organizations that exist to create and harmony.


There are both Indians and Pakistanis in Fun-da-mental. You seem to
get along fine. What do you think about and
's political ?


I think it's pathetic. I can't believe that
and spend so much on and they are blinded by
people saying, "Oh is going to attack us", or " is going
to attack us". No they are not! The only institution that seems to
benefit form all this friction is the and the soldiers. All
this is bullshit.


In a last interview you said 'the whole world is f***ed'. Is your view
really that dark?


I don't know I can't answer that. I don't want
people to be under the illusion that my world and culture is sorted
because it is not. That is why I say the whole world is
messed up. We have got South Africa, we have Trinidad, Australia, New
Zealand. People say, "But they have go a really good ".


I can't believe the aboriginal movement
haven't got what they deserve. Can't believe the
Maori's haven't got what they deserve. Alot of things in and
I just can't believe are still happening. I don't want to
give an illusion that just the West is screwedd, I say the whole world
is screwed.


What do you think of the condition of the Australian aboriginal?


Its really sad. I was watching the other day and there was this sad
program about these white kids who have some sort of disease. People
were saying we want some money to be looked after. Also, there was
that disaster where an army helicopter crashed and killed a whole
bunch of soldiers. Everybody was saddened by this. Yaah cool, I
understand their sadness but look at the aborigines. Look how much
they have suffered. People are asking for compensation. They have it
and they want more. What they have been given is more than what the
Aborigines have been given. They are being very vocal about it saying
the is letting us down and things like that. The normal
layman will say "Oh yeah they deserve a lot more", but when aborigines
say "We want a lot more", they say, "Oh no!". This is how they deal with
people of colour.


When they see Aborigines on asking for more, white people put their
backs up and say, "They are greedy". They're greedy? What about your
. Where is your common sense? How much have you got? You
are so lucky.


We have a track, "You have never seen the wrath of the black
man". White people haven't seen the reaction
from the black man. I think they need a good kicking. When we were in
South Africa we said, "For 6 months why don't you treat the white
people the way they have treated you for the centuries". Then stop it
and say, "You have only had only six months of it. We have had
centuries. Do you understand how we feel?"


But I don't think people of colour are of that ilk. I think we have
got a lot of . We are not actually petty like they are. We
are like an eye-for-an-eye within the community but it's not the same
way outside.


Do you think voices like Fun-da-mental will raise and deal with these
issues?


We are only a band. We are pathetic. We are limited. People come and
see us, they are pissed, drugged or they just want to have a good
time. I wonder, why am I doing this? OK they are having a good
time. Yes, the platform is there. But are they going to go out and do
something about it or are they just going to go, "Oh, Fundamental a
wicked band" or "Shit band". Do they understand the sentiment? Do they
understand what we are trying to say to them?


We aren't saying, "You whites are the problem". We are saying, "Something
has been done, now, can we have a solution?" Lets resolve it. So that
when my little son grows up he can call a little white kid brother or
sister without looking at him and thinking he hasn't resolved his past
or that he still has all these stereotypical ideas about me. This is
just humanitarian politics. What I'm saying is nothing original. If
anything it's cliched, it's been said before.


The Jewish community got sorted with what was done to
them. Great. I've got no problem with that. When are you going to sort
out black people? When are you going to sort out Africans, the
Aborigines, the Maoris. They say, "Oh black
people's problem is a very hard one. Its too
difficult". Its not too difficult! Well if you think its too difficult
then just sort out the Maoris. Can we have a beginning somewhere?
There aren't that many Maoris. There aren't that many Aborigines. Why
don't you sort them out?


We've got to wake up. I think people of colour have to wake up and not
take any shit. We have to stand up and say,
"You've had your day. You can be my friend but
you are going to have to resolve your past. Enough is enough!"


"Stories from Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, South America,

all in tune with one another.

The same method

The same Excuse

The same Justification

The same song

No one is accountable

Who is accountable

Where do I make my claim?"
(Global Tales - Fun-Da-Mental)