New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Remember the 1990s dance anthems like “We like to party” or “Boom boom boom”? After crossing borders with their peppy music and creating a buzz in the party scene across the globe, Vengaboys, the Dutch pop band behind these musical gems, is “curious” to learn about Indian music and hopes to work with an Indian artist, saying the “beauty of India keeps calling us back”.
“We’re not very aware of the Indian music scene, but are very curious to learn more of it. It would be pretty exciting to collaborate with an Indian artist and make some good music,” Vengaboys member Robin Pors told IANS in an e-mail interview on behalf of the band.
The Eurodance group members showed off their musical pitch at an electrifying evening at The Courtyard, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla in Mumbai last month. They performed here after over a decade as they had last visited India in 2001.
Pors says it’s the “crowd” and “beauty of India” which make them come back.
“The people have always been so warm-hearted, kind and welcoming, which has left a big impression on us. When we toured here last time, fans went crazy and turned up in hounds. It absolutely delights us to see so many people enjoy our music. Also, the beauty of India keeps calling us back,” he said.
Vengaboys, formed in 1996, ushered in a new trend into the music world with flamboyant costumes, energetic beats and party numbers infused with animated videos. And now Indian rustic beats have captivated their attention.
Bollywood uses musical notes to express myriad feelings – be it the romance, separation or happiness. Pors notes that if Bollywood comes calling for them, the band would be more than happy to feature on the Indian silver screen.
“We would love to feature in a Bollywood movie,” said Pors, and added that they blended Indian beats and tunes into one of their singles.
“We don’t release all the music that we make. Yes, we have made a song that’s influenced by Indian music, but we never released it,” he added.
Bollywood stands for many things – its larger than life feel, the glitterati, melodious music and exuberant dance moves – all entwined into one for a perfect entertainment dose.
For Pors, it is the “music , dance and crazy fans” that spells out Bollywood’s charisma.
The band’s music is termed as the livewire at any party, and Vengaboys takes pride in that.
“We would love to be known as a party act rather than 1990’s pop act,” Pors said.
The Vengaboys jukebox hit a roadblock when the group parted ways in the early 2000s, but the lull was soon overlapped with a bang as the band reunited in 2007. Apart from Pors, the band consists of Donny Latupeirissa, Denise Post-Van Rijswijk and Kim Sasabone.
They came with “The Platinum Album” in early 2010. The “Rocket to Uranus” single marked their reunion. Another album “Xmas Party Album” came in 2014.
A lot has changed since 1990 in the music industry. Accepting the fast forward mode in the music world, Pors says, they have infused the change in their music to catch up with the trend.
“Music today has evolved to a great extent since then. The beats have become complex. We have tried to incorporate as much of it in our latest album while remaining true to ourselves. We love the pop scene as it is today. A lot of great artists have joined the pop pool,” he said.
(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)