KUALA LUMPUR: Singing siblings Manjit Singh Gill and Sukhjit Singh Gill returned to their roots and created history in the process.
The brothers, known as Goldkartz, wrote and produced their first Bhangra album called Loaded and made it into the Malaysia Book of Records yesterday.
The album was acknowledged as the first Malaysian local Bhangra album in the country. They received the recognition under the Arts and Entertainment category for the album, which was released last January.
Manjit, 23, also known as M-Ji, said it took them three years to complete Loaded. Usually Bhangra songs are produced in the United Kingdom and India, but we tried to make something different by writing the lyrics, recording the songs, arranging, mastering and mixing the songs ourselves here.” The International Islamic University law student added that they also brought in artistes from India for the album.
His 19-year-old brother, Sukhjit, also known as Surj, said Loaded is an urban Bhangra album which has a mixed combination of hip hop, rap, R&B, reggae, house and trance. “Loaded brings a new dimension in the Bhangra music industry by using English, Malay, Tamil and, of course, Punjabi lyrics to represent the society of Malaysia,” said Surj.
The album has, to date, sold more than 2,000 copies. The album was produced by Mastro Records and distributed by EMI Malaysia.
Maestro Talent & Management Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Freddie Fernandez, who was at the certificate presentation ceremony, said: “We are planning to market the album in the UK and India.” Also present at the presentation ceremony at the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry were its Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal and the Malaysia Book of Records founder and managing director Datuk Danny Ooi.