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ove him or hate him, Flash Fontanelli, the self-proclaimed "Emperor of Chaos", is the most
outrageous personality to ever hit the Asian music scene. Adored by fans as the uninhibited bad
boy representing the new generation of Desi's (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi) and denounced by
critics as being a misrespresentation of Asian values, Flash broke cultural and musical barriers,
societal norms and stereotypes in a manner that was anything but traditional on his rise to fame.
His music, often overshadowed by his loud personality, is unique to the point that it fits no existing
genre. F ...read more
ove him or hate him, Flash Fontanelli, the self-proclaimed "Emperor of Chaos", is the most
outrageous personality to ever hit the Asian music scene. Adored by fans as the uninhibited bad
boy representing the new generation of Desi's (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi) and denounced by
critics as being a misrespresentation of Asian values, Flash broke cultural and musical barriers,
societal norms and stereotypes in a manner that was anything but traditional on his rise to fame.
His music, often overshadowed by his loud personality, is unique to the point that it fits no existing
genre. Flash sings in English but his music is distincly ethnic. Combining Indian music with Hip
Hop, Rock and Reggae, and using a wide array of instruments from places like Greece, Ireland,
Jamaica and Egypt to name a few, Flash has created a new form of musical expression. The multi-
talented Fontanelli is not only a singer, but also a composer, musician, songwriter and producer. His
voice is raw, deep and husky. He has been compared to Elvis Presley and Jim Morrisson. His vocal
ability is undeniably versatile. He can rap, he can sing low, high, soft, smooth or loud. And his
musical formula is original. Most Flash Fontanelli songs have both a musical hook and a vocal hook.
Flash Fontanelli, born in India, migrated with his family to Liverpool, England at the age of 2. Four
years later, they settled in the United States and he has since lived in New York, California,
Connecticut, South Carolina, Illinois and Arizona. He was introduced to music at age 10 by skilled
guitarist and family friend, Javid Hassan. By age 13, Flash had mastered the piano and was writing
songs with ease. He was the songwriter and frontman for several Punk & Metal bands, including User
Friendly and Skull Krusher in his teenage years. At age 19, Flash went to his native India for what
was supposed to be a one month vacation. Drawn to the culture, languages and music, he ended up
staying for six months. During this period, he traveled to many regions including Punjab, Deccan,
Gujrat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Mumbai and Delhi. It was in Mumbai that he met Indian Music
Director & accomplished programmer Satya Narayan. Under Satya Narayan's tutiledge, Flash came
back with a strong understanding and passion of Indian Music. After his return to the States, Flash
formed the All-Indian Supergroup, Coconut Swing. Fontanelli was working two jobs while singing &
playing keyboard for this Bhangra influenced Reggae-Ska band. This venture showed great promise
and lasted for 2 years. But frustrated by the politics and close-minded nature of the music industry,
Flash gave up music for 3 years. On the insistence of his friends and family, Flash decided to give it
one more go in 2008. It was then that he met Jon Weil, lead guitarist of Busticles and a professional
Sound Engineer at Fuzzywallz Recording Studio in Tempe,AZ. Flash started recording with Jon at
Fuzzywallz Studio and it didn't take long for Flash to grow a strong internet following, much to the
credit of Akash Suresh, a professional DJ and Indian party promoter who had already released an
album himself. The response from the younger generation of Desi's living in the United States and
United Kingdom was overwhelming. Fontanelli was playing shows again from California to London.
The big break came in February 2009 when film director Fredy Polania heard the song "Shahrukh
Khan" and wanted to shoot a Music Video for it. The video was launched on May 28, 2009 and
became an instant hit on You Tube. This led to radio play and increased exposure, making
"Shahrukh Khan" the ethnic party anthem of the Summer. Flash Fontanelli has been busy the past
few months, completing a 3 continent tour that saw him perform in New York, London and Mumbai to
name a few places. Then Blue Mango Records came calling, in conjunction with Indian label Leit
Motif Records, and offered Flash a recording contract. He accepted, citing creative control as the
primary reason, and recorded the 18-track debut album titled "Firangi". The album, released on
November 24, 2009, was recorded in the United States and India. It features work from Jon Weil,
talented Indian producer Manik Satya, Bollywood playback singer Tarannum Mallik (What's Your
Raashee?), guitar prodigy Nitesh Dean and Sound Engineer Alex Patole. The album was mastered
by engineer Jerome Schmidt from Air Marstering in London, UK.
In addition to the release of his album, there is also a treat for the eyes for Flash Fontanelli fans as
the Music Video for the track “IRAQ”, directed by Thomas Jacob (Red Orphanage Productions), was
released on November 10, 2009. The video, not short on controversy, is sure to outrage
conservatives, religious fanatics, seperatists and feminist rights activists while winning critical
acclaim from the Art community. Flash Fontanelli was the Assistant Director on this project and it
features Sneha Kapoor, a Salsa dancer who became a household name on the TV show "India's Got
Talent" and Indian model Naina Roy. This video will be offered to the public under the Creative
Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivs license, so that people around the world can
legally copy, distribute, and share the clip. But it doesn't end there. The next Flash Fontanelli video
is set to release in early January. Its said to be more of a theatrical event, a short Indian film rather
than just a music video, bringing the pageantry of Bollywood to the rest of the world. Starring Sneha
Kapoor and famed South Indian villain Johnson Satish Kumar, the video was shot exclusively in
some of India's most scenic villages. Stay tuned for promos.
In a recent interview, Flash Fontanelli said: "Some kids grow up wanting to be Lil Wayne. Some grow
up wanting to be Jay Sean or Ozzy Osbourne. Me? I just wanted to be Flash Fontanelli. My goal is to
make the most flavorful music possible in a way that no one else has ever done before. I want to
introduce the World to Desi Music. And I want to introduce my Desi's to World Music. My music may
have a new sound but it relates to YOUR life. Some songs will make you happy. Some will make you
bounce up and down and party with your homies. Some will make you remember someone that you
have lost. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you angry. But in the end, If it invoked some
sort of emotion in you, then I succeeded. I don't believe in following rules. Rules are false
boundaries that society created with the intention of killing innovation and progress. So f*** the
rules."
Music critic Chris Mark —a respected name in World Music—states, "This artist is going to
revolutionize music the way its seen and heard in the UK and USA. Its Modern World Fusion mixed
with catchy hooks, catchy lyrics and that signature Flash Fontanelli style. FIRANGI is an eclectic
blend of powerful Bhangra beats, exotic instrumentation, Rock, Reggae and Indian Hip Hop. The only
regret with this amazing journey is that it ends, leaving us wanting for more musical enchantment.
This is one POWERFUL new voice. « hide |
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