indie punk
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produce ...
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riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcul ...
band, who reached number one in the Indie Charts in 1993.
History
The band was composed of Anjali Bhatia (guitar, vocals), Ella Guru (guitar, backing vocals), Stefania 'Steffi' Lucchesini (drums), Rajni Bhatia (keyboards) and Anjula Bhaskar (bass). Rebecca Lunn later stepped in for Anjula who had to leave to visit family in India. and Mary Deigan replaced her on bass in 1994.
In late 1992, Anjali left the group
Mambo Taxi
Mambo Taxi were an English, London-based British indie band, linked with riot grrrl, who formed in 1991 and split up in 1995.Mason, StewartMambo Taxi Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-02-01
History
Mambo Taxi were inspired by the UK garage ...
, in which she was the drummer, to start the Voodoo Queens, along with her sister Rajni and cousin Anjula, Ella Guru (also of Mambo Taxi), and drummer Sunny.Strong, Martin C. (2003) "Voodoo Queens", in ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, After only one concert, they were offered a
Peel session
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
. This was recorded in January 1993, whilst Anjali was still working at Virgin Megastore in
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...
. Other radio and TV appearances followed, including a further two Peel Sessions, and a
busking
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
competition against
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
on Channel 4's music and arts programme Naked City.
The music press, in addition to associating the band with the riot grrrl scene, also grouped them with other Asian-fronted bands such as
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band best known for their single " Brimful of Asha", originally released in 1997 and, in a remixed version, topping the UK chart in 1998. The band was formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh (sin ...
; Anjali felt that the press focused more on the music scene instead of the musical content.
Following the dissolution of the band, Ella Guru joined the
Stuckist
Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.Wiiija Records. Deigan joined The Hangovers, and later - along with Ella Guru - the Deptford Beach Babes. Steffi briefly played with long-running all-female post-punk band Gertrude.
Discography
Singles/EPs
*"Supermodel Superficial"/"Chocolate (Melt in Your Mouth)" (1993)
Too Pure
Too Pure was a London-based independent record label formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox. The label gained prominence after the release of PJ Harvey's debut album '' Dry'' in 1992, and subsequently found further success in the lat ...
*"Kenuwee Head"/"My Little Guitar Baby" (1993) Too Pure
*"F Is For Fame"/"I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want To Kill You) adio Nasty version (1994) Too Pure
*"Eat The Germs"/"Hairy"" (1995) Voodoo Records
*"Neptune"/"I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want To Kill You)" (1995) Dirt Records S release
Albums
*''Chocolate Revenge'' (1994) Too Pure ("You're Dumped", "Princess of the Voodoo Beat", "Neptune", "Summer Sun", "I'm Not Bitter (I Just Want to Kill You)", "Faceache", "Indian Film Star", "Cactus Trees", "Shopping Girl Maniac", "Chocolate Eyes", "My Favourite Handbag")
*''Peel Sessions'' (1994)
Strange Fruit
"Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...