B-wood films are so funny: DJ Neil

... Says DJ Neil Armstrong, who has performed with the likes of Jay-Z and Mary J Blige, and was in Delhi recently
How was the India tour?
It was my first time in India, and I loved it. It was great performing in Delhi, Calcutta and Mumbai. We ended up keeping the crowd till late; the cops didn’t interrupt, so we played longer.
You seem very busy, do you manage to get free time?
Honestly, this actually goes on for a lot of lower level celebrities like me (laughs).Like when I go home, I have to pay taxes, my bills are waiting for me, I’ve to do my laundry, and I have to clean up the house which I left in a mess to catch a flight, and catch up with friends. Not very glamourous!
How did you become the tour DJ of Jay-Z?
I am known for the mixed tapes that I do. There was a girl, who used to work for Jay, and she liked my music and recommended me to him for the ‘Heart Of The City’ tour which had Jay and Mary J Blige. Very soon it changed from me sending them a mail to me being there in the studio.
How was it working with Jay-Z?
Working with an artiste of that calibre is something to put on the resume. I got to perform in front of 1,20,000 people, at the Glastonbury Festival, then at Madison Square Garden and then deejay for the inauguration of Barack Obama’s Neighbourhood Ball. It was the first time in history that a DJ had performed in a show of that magnitude. It was simply amazing.
What have been your influences?
Soul, RnB, jazz and people like Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5 – all contributed directly to the hip-hop sound. Then there was James Brown and funk music – who were the building blocks of hip-hop too, that have influenced me. And when I was growing up in New York, kids were listening to Blondie, Talking Heads, Ramones, New Order, Cheers for Fears. All of these genres have influenced me.
What about Indian music?
I am exposed to Indian music, growing up in New York – which is a huge melting pot, and really high on Bhangra music. I was joking when I got off from the plane that ‘My God, I’m not in India, I’m in NY, I just went down a block.’ I have been aware of Bollywood, way before “Slumdog Millionaire”. But I don’t know the names, and I can’t pronounce them (laughs). But I have played Bhangra music... I have deejayed during my Indian friends’ weddings.
What about Bollywood movies?
(Laughs) They are so funny, but interesting to watch. But the unfortunate thing is the language barrier. The only thing I see is the dancing and the crazy faces and the beats. I wish I could know more about the story, but till I learn Hindi, it’s not going to happen.