Apache Indianਅਪਾਚੇ ਇੰਡੀਅਨ

Early life

Steven Kapur was born on 11 May 1967 in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, to Punjabi Hindu migrant parents. Handsworth was a multiracial neighborhood — home to the reggae bands Steel Pulse and UB40 — and young Steven grew up on Bob Marley and Burning Spear alongside the Hindi music on his family's radio. Introduced to sound-system culture by a local operator, he began chatting (MCing) on reggae systems as a teenager, growing out dreadlocks. He took part of his stage name from Super Cat, the 'Wild Apache', a Jamaican reggae artist of Indian descent who was his idol.

Career

In 1990 he recorded his first single, 'Movie Over India', a white-label mixing ragga and bhangra that became hugely popular with both audiences. Two more singles, 'Chok There' and 'Don Raja', brought him to the attention of major labels, and in 1992 he signed with Island Records. His debut album No Reservations (1993), produced with his cousins Simon & Diamond alongside Phil Chill, Robert Livingston, Bobby Digital and Sly Dunbar, introduced the world to 'bhangramuffin' — bhangra fused with raggamuffin reggae. The album was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize.

The follow-up, Make Way for the Indian (produced by Sly & Robbie and others), featured rapper Tim Dog and spawned 'Boom Shack-A-Lak' — the signature song that appeared in the film Dumb and Dumber and in countless adverts and TV shows worldwide. Apache earned four nominations at the 1994 Brit Awards and became the only Asian artist with seven UK Top 40 hits. Later albums included Real People, Karma (featuring Luciano and Boy George) and Time for Change.

Music style

Apache Indian raps and sings in Jamaican patois over bhangra and reggae rhythms, mixing sharp social commentary ('Arranged Marriage') with party anthems. He was one of the earliest British-Asian artists to break the UK mainstream.

Personal life

Kapur was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to music and the community. He remains active as a performer and community figure in Birmingham.

Legacy

For second-generation British Asians, Apache Indian was representation itself: a Punjabi kid from Handsworth with dreadlocks, chanting in patois over the dhol, shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and nominated at the Brits. 'Boom Shack-A-Lak' is one of the most recognizable British songs of the 1990s — and it began with bhangra.