Hey I have always maintained that the mainstream music buyers are fair weather friends. This story in a Malaysian newspaper proves it.

bq. The media loved them: the caustically detached Tjinder Singh (of the Brimful of Asha fame), overflowing maverick spirit Talvin Singh, the battering rams of Asian Dub Foundation, the Joi brothers before the unfortunate demise of the older Haroon Shamsher, the eccentric Badmarsh & Shri, and others in the fringe.

bq. There aren’t any Asian artistes who sign for long-term careers. The people who have been (signed) have all been dropped? Talvin Singh, State of Bengal, Badmarsh and Shri and even Asian Dub Foundation before they were picked up (by EMI). It’s just about every single Asian artiste who was signed to a major label was dropped.

The Star interviews Nitin Sawhney and talks to him about how he overcame the changing tastes of music buyers. His music has been the key.

bq. “The reason is a lot of record companies attempted to turn what was cultural change into a fad or fashion. As a result, a lot of the Asian artistes were (lured) with that kind of attitude (and) became last year’s thing very quickly which is ridiculous because it is a very racist attitude but people couldn’t see that.”