It's about a sense of pride. You know, people going back to their roots and finding out that you can be proud, basically, of your heritage, and you can be proud of your music and your culture, and there's no need to walk down with your head held low, when it should be very high.

— Farook Shamsher

JOI

Joi originally consisted of Farook and Haroon Shamsher; two young Bengalis raised in London's East End whose musical careers started in the pioneering Joi Bangla sound system which grew out of the Bangladeshi youth movement.

They progressed through DJ'ing to writing and recording their own music, developing one of the most exciting new musical styles of recent years. Their unique fusion of western dance and hip hop with traditional Asian forms has produced tracks which vary from sublime break-beat workouts to experimental techno numbers and mystical instrumentals.

Tragically, in 1999, Haroon died prematurely of a heart attack. After a period of mourning his brother Farook produced their second album, the beautiful and complex "We Are Three", for Real World Records, building it around an extensive series of DAT recordings Haroon had made in Bangladesh months before his death. Farook continues to carry Joi forward both with DJ and soundsystem gigs, and with live performances with the full Joi band. Read more of this bio on the WOMAD website.

Link: http://www.realworldrecords.com