FAVE 5 with DELHI 2 DUBLIN Tom Murray

FAVE5with DELHI 2 DUBLIN

By Tom Murray

Sanjay Seran of Delhi 2 Dublin is slightly bemused at how he’s spent the last two-and-a-half years.

“I’ve just been at home,” the vocalist exclaims from Galiano Island, just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. “There’s like 1,300 people here. I’ve just basically been doing yard work and writing my solo project. It’s quite diff erent from Delhi 2 Dublin, more like stoner sex music. I’m married and I have a kid, so I write music about fucking being high. That’s my life.”

Delhi 2 Dublin’s glorious mashup of funk, bhangra, dub, electronic, reggae, hip hop, and Celtic music has channelled itself through a number of diff erent lineups over the years, but they’ve been on a hiatus since the release of 2019’s We Got This. Started on a workshop stage at a Celtic festival in 2006, the band originally featured Seran, electronic artist and tabla player Tarun Nayar, violinists Kytami and Oliver Schroer, and DJ Adrian Blackhurst. Since that inspired beginning, they’ve gone on to become a world trotting collective, beloved at folk festivals and always incorporating new sounds.

We spoke with Seran about some of his favourite places to play around the world.

COMMODORE BALLROOM, VANCOUVER CANADA

We’ve played it seven times. It was a goal of ours and we manifested it to happen, I’m still not sure how. The best shows we’ve ever done were there and I’ve always wanted to see ourselves from the audience perspective at the Commodore. There were so many ego boxes that got ticked off when we fi nally got there. It felt fucking fantastic. The staff are awesome, the guy that runs it is awesome. I think he plays in a band so he gets it. One little tidbit of information: my wife’s grandmother used to go clubbing there when she was at UBC. It was the place for socialites at the time, so that made it perfect for us.

BALI SPIRIT FEST

There are some pretty magical things that happen in Bali. It’s a very spiritual place. We played Bali Spirit Fest twice as a band and once as a DJ collective, so I wasn’t on that trip. I think my son was just born or something. So it’s a yoga festival with yogis from all over. When the concert happens it’s completely wild because you’re just sweating so much. I couldn’t even hold the mic, it was just slipping. But the sound is impeccable, and it’s in this beautiful, closed in, outdoor area. Just fucking wild, you know?

HUMBOLDT, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

It’s not a venue, it’s a region. Northern California gave us so much love early on starting with Earthdance, which takes place south of Humboldt, and north of San Francisco. That was my fi rst time being introduced to bands like Sound Tribe and Sector Nine and a lot of American jam bands. I grew up in Richmond, so I didn’t really listen to the Grateful Dead or anything. It was a bit of a shock. It was also the wild west of weed, because that’s where all the growers were. So that was the vibe, and Delhi 2 Dublin were welcomed because we fi t it.

THE FILLMORE, SAN FRANCISCO

Someone across the planet might not know the Commodore in Vancouver, but they’ll know the Fillmore. The Summer of Love, the hippies in San Francisco, everyone knows it. We were on a roll and we fi nally got to play there. And like The Commodore, the staff from top down were incredible. Like, we roll up in a minivan, and they treat you exactly the same as a band that shows up with a semi and a tour bus. So that was just special. But also as a musician it’s impossible to put into words what it feels like to be off ered the Fillmore.

RANDOM BAND SHELL, SHEBOYGAN WISCONSIN

So what the fuck are we doing in Sheboygan? There were two brown people in the audience and everyone else was middle-aged to older white people. You’re like, great, I’m a fucking clown on stage. What am I going to do? ‘Look at that guy, he’s so ethnic.’ But I was wrong. Tarun (Nayar) goes in and he was basically like, ‘yo, everyone, hands up, stand up.’ And holy shit, everyone stood up. And it was like thousands of people doing bhangra in Wisconsin. That was another one of those experiences where you’re like, holy shit, like this is bigger than me.

Scan the QR code to watch Delhi 2 Dublin music videos.

THE CHARMING TASTE THE CHARMING TASTE THE CHARMING TASTE OF EUROPEOF EUROPEOF EUROPE

There are places in Europe that have a timeless charm, where the highest quality products with distinct flavors are born. The Charming Taste of Europe is a unique project that connects the flavors of wine from Italy and France, as well as fresh fruit from Greece, and introduces the United States and Canada to these exquisite items that evoke all of Europe’s beauty and grace. The campaign is co-funded by the European Union and aims to promote the merits of European agricultural products, such as quality, tradition, traceability, safety and high production standards. Quality is one of the greatest assets of the producers across the EU in their attempt to meet the consumer demand, to increase the competitiveness of the EU products on US and and Canada markets.

There are places in Europe that have a timeless charm, where the There are places in Europe that have a timeless charm, where the highest quality products with distinct flavors are born. The Charmhighest quality products with distinct flavors are born. The Charming Taste of Europe is a unique project that connects the flavors of ing Taste of Europe is a unique project that connects the flavors of wine from Italy and France, as well as fresh fruit from Greece, and wine from Italy and France, as well as fresh fruit from Greece, and introduces the United States and Canada to these exquisite items introduces the United States and Canada to these exquisite items that evoke all of Europe’s beauty and grace.that evoke all of Europe’s beauty and grace. The campaign is co-funded by the European Union and aims to The campaign is co-funded by the European Union and aims to promote the merits of European agricultural products, such as promote the merits of European agricultural products, such as quality, tradition, traceability, safety and high production standards. quality, tradition, traceability, safety and high production standards. Quality is one of the greatest assets of the producers across the Quality is one of the greatest assets of the producers across the EU in their attempt to meet the consumer demand, to increase EU in their attempt to meet the consumer demand, to increase the competitiveness of the EU products on US and and Canada the competitiveness of the EU products on US and and Canada markets. markets.

To learn more about the campaign, visit: To learn more about the campaign, visitTo learn more about the campaign, visit: : www.charmingtasteofeurope.eu/en.www.charmingtasteofeurope.eu/en.www.charmingtasteofeurope.eu/en.

DO YOU KNOW ABRUZZO, ITALY, AND ITS WINES?

Can a single territory encompass beauty, history, nature, landscape, and good wine? Yes, definitely! These are incomparable elements when describing the region of Abruzzo, a still unexplored territory where its diverse features have found perfect harmony. Considered as one of the greenest regions in Europe, Abruzzo is located between the Adriatic Sea and the massifs of the Gran Sasso and the Majella. Within this hidden gem, there are three National Parks and more than sixty national and regional reserves. Given its strategic position, it is a territory naturally predisposed to viticulture. The wine culture of Abruzzo, which has its roots in Greek and later Roman times, has its production areas concentrated almost entirely in the hilly landscapes, more specifically, near the coastal hills. Thanks to an ideal microclimate and the passionate dedication of its producers, quality products are born with unique and irreplicable taste profiles.

The undeniable leader is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, cultivated on 17,000 hectares, with a constantly growing popularity. Present in the region since the mid-’700s, this wine, with its signature ruby red color and aromas of violet, cherry, berries, and licorice, remains a staple and qualifies as one of the greatest Italian reds. Alone, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo represents over 80% of the total denomination of wines produced in Abruzzo and is among the top three DOC wines produced in Italy. Its white wine counterpart is Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, a white wine of great potential and versatility. Some accounts place the production of Trebbiano in Abruzzo since the sixteenth century. With its straw yellow colour, it is known for its pleasant bouquet of fresh flowers and fruit, with a dry and harmonious taste. But it is not the only white wine capable of refreshing the palate of those who taste it. Once you get to know it — and you’ll want to get to know it — Abruzzo Pecorino will find its place in your heart alongside big-name white wines. It’s the kind of wine that can be approachably youthful or age-worthy and complex. You get character, noticeable terroir, a richer flavor profile than often accompanies “fresh” white wines — notes of soft fruit, florals, dry herb, minerality, all balanced by freshening acid and a slightly heavier mouthfeel (thank you, sugar). You cannot continue this itinerary of taste without mentioning rosé wines, such as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, that manages to combine a distinct structure and unforgettable freshness. This wine is produced from Montepulciano grapes using a unique winemaking technique and since 2010 has been the first denomination in Italy dedicated solely to the production of rosés.

Each of these products represent the culmination of the passion, tradition, and dedication of the Abruzzo communities. They are an invaluable commodity to be cherished and nurtured towards the preservation and development of the territory’s cultural identity. The Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo plays a fundamental role to guarantee the quality, typicality, and origin of Abruzzo wines and the development of its products.