Taz (1967-2022) was a British [1]Peeping Moon singer, music composer, and actor of Indian descent. On 29 April 2022, he passed away of prolonged illness.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Tarsame Singh Saini [2]The Indian Express aka Taz Stereo Nation [3]Biz Asia aka Johnny Zee [4]Discogs was born on Tuesday, 23 May 1967 (age 54 years; at the time of his death) in Coventry, West Midlands, England. His zodiac sign is Gemini.
He did his schooling at Stoke Park School, Coventry, England. During an interview, he talked about his training in music. He said,
I am a bathroom singer and have not had any kind of training as such. I play keyboards enough to be able to compose and I am purely soul-driven when it comes to performing on stage.â
He added,
My father was very firm about English music not being played at home; even English-speaking was banned. I grew up listening to Shoukat Ali Khan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Gurdas Maan and Kuldeep Manak. Gurdas Maan ji, in fact, is the God of Punjabi music. But my calling was Asian-fusion where I fused both English and Punjabi. I have always promoted Punjabi and will do that in future too. When I entered the music industry and created fusion genre, my father did not talk to me for four years!â
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5âČ 6âł
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Brown (dyed blonde)
Family
He was born into a Punjabi family. [5]The Tribune
Parents & Siblings
His brotherâs name is Tarlochan, and his sisterâs name is Kuldip.
Wife & Children
He was married and had two daughters named Serina (elder; singer) and Simran, and a son named Dan.
Career
In 1989, he released his first music album âHit the Deck.’
He then released a few more music albums like âThe Remix Albumâ (1990), âSpirits of Rhythmâ (1994), âNashaâ (1999), âRewind Selektaâ (2009), and âDesi & U know Itâ (2012).
Taz gained immense popularity with the song âPyar Ho Gayaâ from the music album âOH! Lailaâ in 2000.
In 1996, he started working as a lead singer in the pop music band Stereo Nation. He was among the first few singers who introduced cross-cultural Asian fusion music in India. He also lent his voice for songs in a few Hindi films such as “Daroo Vich Pyar” from Tum Bin (2001), Itâs Magicâ from âKoi⊠Mil Gayaâ (2003), âMujhpe To Jadooâ from âRaceâ (2008), and âGallan Goriyanâ from âBatla Houseâ (2019). Taz worked as an actor in English language films such as âSambar Salsaâ (2007) and âDon’t Stop Dreamingâ (2007).
He performed at various stage shows and live events.
Awards
- Best Punjabi Singer in the Middle East (year not known)
- Best International Act 2005 by the UK Asian Music Awards
Death
Earlier, he was detected with a hernia, and his surgery was postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in his worsened condition. In 2021, he went into a coma and recovered after being hospitalized for a few days. In March 2022, he again started facing health issues, and on 29 April 2022, he died of prolonged illness. [6]Outlook India
Facts/Trivia
- During an interview, he shared how the British pop star Neville Staples spotted him. He said,
I was spotted by a famous British pop star by the name of Neville Staples of the Two Tone Band âThe Specialsâ & âFun Boy Threeâ whilst working in my fathers shop. I used to have a habit and tendency of singing to the radio and practicing my vocal techniques. Neville just happened to be listening to me from outside the shop and I guess I still count my lucky stars today. He liked what he heard and invited me to the recording studio to record some demos. Before I knew it we were recording my first album and the rest is history.â
- Taz used to follow a non-vegetarian diet.
- He was an avid animal lover and owned a pet dog named Kovu.
- Taz enjoyed drinking alcohol occasionally.
- He once performed to raise funds for the Charity of Afghanistan at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
- He performed live in the presence of Prince Charles at the annual gala for the Richest British Asian Awards held at Natural History Museum, London.
References
↑1 | Peeping Moon |
---|---|
↑2 | The Indian Express |
↑3 | Biz Asia |
↑4 | Discogs |
↑5 | The Tribune |
↑6 | Outlook India |