The Kominas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kominas
Origin Flag of the United States Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genre(s) Taqwacore
Members
Basim Usmani
Shahjehan Malik Khan
Arjun Ray
Karna Ray
Danny Dhol Drums
Former members
Adam Is
James Drew
David Pierce

The Kominas (Urdu: کمینہ ) (In Urdu and Punjabi, Kamina means bastard) are a Punjabi taqwacore punk band from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Current members are Basim Usmani (bass), both Shahjehan Khan and Arjun Ray (guitar), Karna Ray (drums), and Danny Dhol Drums (dhol). They all share vocal duties with the audience. Former drummers include Adam Is, James "Jameelah" Drew, and David Pierce.

Their first song written and recorded but never released, except on their website and myspace, titled "Rumi was a Homo (But Wahhaj Is a Fag)", which was written and uploaded by Muslim Wake Up! in response to recent homophobic comments made by the imam Siraj Wahaj. Since then, the next big singles to be released were titled "Sharia Law in the U.S.A", "Ayesha" and "Dishoom, Baby".

The music and imagery typically draws from anti-colonial and moghul art, American movements related to Islam, such as Moorish Science, five percenters ("9,000 Miles" is based on a line from the English Lesson C-1 in W.D. Fard's Supreme Wisdom Lessons, the studied text of the Nation of Islam), and Desi culture, such as Bhangra, punjabi folklore, Sufi saints from Punjab (Bulleh Shah), Islam, Hinduism and Bollywood ("Dishoom, Baby!" was a tribute to the film Sholay).

Their work has been featured on MTV Desi,[1] Muslim Wake Up!,[2] Chowrangi Magazine, and is being taught in an Honor's curriculum by the University of Arkansas alongside other Desi artists, including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Skidmore College's Music Against Hatred concert also showcased "Rumi was a Homo" in a segment dedicated to Muslim Punk, as a protest song against homophobia from within the American Muslim community.

April 18, 2006 saw the publication of an article titled "The Clash" in the Boston Globe, dedicated entirely to the Kominas, their fans, trials, etc.[3]

With Basim Usmani moving to Pakistan to work for a newspaper, The Kominas are on a gigging hiatus but with all the lead vocals and bass recorded before Usmani left their full length CD is still set to be released in the near future when it is finished.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 'Halal Beats' From The Kominas. MTV Desi (2006-03-04). Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
  2. ^ Michael Muhammad Knight (2004-12-10). Masjid Taqwacore: Introducing the Kominas. Muslim Wakeup!. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
  3. ^ Omar Sacirbey (2006-04-18). The clash: Punk meets Islam in a local band that shreds stereotypes. The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.

The Kominas' debut album "Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay" isnow available

[edit] External links