"It all started when downstairs mother was singing classical Indian ragas, upstairs I was listening to Led Zeppelin wondering what it would sound like if Kishori Amonkar sang with the B-52's." says Sujatha Menon The roots begin in the experimental British art school environment, where Menon met Herbert, they started writing songs drawing on their eastern and western music influences, then joined by other musicians and Satsangi. The band have since had their first album
No Shoes in Satsang Hall reviewed in
Rolling Stone magazine, gigged with
The Kills,
The Primitives, headlined in
London, played at major festivals alongside artists such as
Elvis Costello,
Tom Jones,
Jools Holland, and
Martha and the Vandellas. Satsangi videos, made in collaboration with artist
Paul Windridge are broadcast globally on MTV networks. They are signed to Mr Babu and released by The Orchard. 'Satsangi draw juice from eclectic sources, from
Iggy Pop and
The Stooges,
X-Ray Spex,
Sonic Youth, to
Nina Simone,
PJ Harvey, and
Kishori Amonkar .........the list goes on.' says Johnny Herbert, a member of the Satsangi Band "Iodine reminds me a bit of
Sonic Youth but with infinitely better singing with tough sax break that made me think of
X-Ray Spex. The whole thing sounds nervy, dislocated and very tense – just the way I like it" says
Steve Chandra Savale of
Asian Dub Foundation. The band is known for the blend of Eastern and Western music culture.
Bobby Friction from the
BBC Asian Network says "I feel like I could play that for the next hour or so, but then I'd lose my job, she sounds brilliant her name is Sujatha Menon, she's the lead singer of Satsangi". ==Albums==