I hope this biography of (Taz) Stereo nation, formly known as Johnny Zee, is convincing enough for those of you who think he is pakistani. I have been following this guys music since his first ever release ( Johnny zee (HIT THE DECK) back in 1989, believe me he is not pakistani. He is A brithish Asian of Indian origin, born and raised in COVENTRY ENGLAND…
The original band comprised Coventry-bred Tarsame Singh Jarnail (Taz) and Kendall Smith, of Caribbean origin. Their story started right from the time when Taz was known as Johnny Zee, following closely in the footsteps of Michael Jackson.
Taz was a solo artist of repute, who made it big with his 1989 release Hit The Deck. Taz had a music background that was fairly international, so the reggae influence seeped into his music. This led to his meeting with Smith, and their subsequent working together on the 1994 album Spirits Of Rhythm. However, the two were not yet known as Stereo Nation. They went by the names of Johnny Zee and DJK
The world woke up to their music after the stupendous success of Spirits Of Rhythm. They landed a lucrative deal with EMI Premier UK in 1996. This was when the twosome decided to call themselves Stereo Nation and go full throttle on their combined initiative.
Success soon came by in the form of their hit I’ve Been Waiting, which had liberally soaked in bhangra and reggae influences. The video was noticed all over the world, and brought them the acclaim they deserved. The album also earned them double-platinum status within six months.
It was time for the band to get on its feet. In 1997, Stereo Nation travelled with a nine-piece band all over the world, to get an understanding of its international fan base. This provided an impetus to their soon-to-follow album Come Be My Lover. The hugely successful Jambo followed in 1998, which truly catapulted the band in to the international league. The rousing reception to Jambo showed that the band was here to stay. Taz and Kendall followed the release of Jambo up with yet another world tour.
Bollywood was quick to lap up the quality tunes of this band, and Oh baby don’t break my heart was faithfully integrated into the soundtrack of the Madhuri Dixit-starrer Mohabbat. But that is just an indication of the band’s popularity and acceptance in the international circuit.
Stereo Nation is now back with Oh Laila, an album which is full of their vibrant brand of music. New members Kam, Neil and Anthony have now joined the Stereo Nation fold, but the quality of music will always remain unchanged.