Ganesh

Ganesh are a Georgeland rock band formed in 2000. The band's musical style is heavily influenced by Indian music, and all the band members are of Indian ethnicity. The band's original line-up was: Jimi Prada (vocals, guitar), Dhani Kumar (guitar/sitar), Nathan Vishwaran (bass) and Dasari 'Das' Singh (drums). In 2004, Singh quit the band due to family reasons, and was replaced by Prada's brother, Eddie. The band's early days were marked by a reluctance from their own community and the wider community to accept them, as they were going against a considerable stereotype. All four had performed in bands before, but the concept of an all-Indian rock band was difficult for record labels to accept. They persevered, and added a sitar sound to make their music more unique and distinctive. In 2001 the single Someone Like You had limited chart success, and a self-titled EP was released later that year. In 2003, the band recieved mainstream success with the airing of their single Shine on national radio. The quirky, idiosyncratic sound made them a popular act, and their 2003 album, Bollywood Lies, quickly became a best-seller, and charted well in the UK. Following the death of George Harrison in 2003, Ganesh recorded a cover of his song While My Guitar Gently Weeps, music and lyrics altered subtly to ''While My Sitar Gently Weeps'. The song was a smash in Georgeland and Britain, and cemented Ganesh's musical credibility. In mid-2004, while pre-production was underway of the group's second album, Singh announced he was leaving the band for 'family reasons'. The album was put on hold while the band searched for a new drummer - in September they announced frontman Prada's brother, Eddie, would fill Singh's role. In April 2005, the second album, Namaste was released on the back of the single Give Me Time. Namaste was as big a success as its predecessor. In July, Ganesh embarked on a tour of Europe and Asia, beginning with participation in Bob Geldof's Live 8 event in London.