DJ RITU – Pioneering World Music Guru and Turntablist!

DJ Ritu, pioneering international turntablist & former BBC Radio presenter, hosts/produces A World in London at SOAS Radio, University of London, and at Resonance 104.4FM. In the ‘90s she co-founded Outcaste Records, signing Nitin Sawhney and Badmarsh & Shri, and also sourced the first record deal for the then fledgling Asian Dub Foundation at Nation Records. She has toured extensively in over 35 countries with her bands Sister India and the Asian Equation, performing at major venues and festivals including Glastonbury, The Big Chill, WOMAD, Sfinks, Roskilde, The Royal Festival Hall and Trafalgar Square. Joining BBC London in 2006, she inherited Charlie Gillett’s slot, and then created a new platform for global music artists called ‘A World In London’. The show is recognized as an essential meeting point for world music fans and a hub for the industry. It has an unrivalled reputation for presenting a rich cultural mix that truly reflects the diverse musical tastes of London and its people. Guests include international stars like Tarkan, Angelique Kidjo, Bebel Gilberto, AR Rahman, and Esma Redzepova, though the show aims to champion local up & coming talent. Her other weekly show for BBC Three Counties Radio ran for 22 years and was syndicated in Germany, Turkey & Sweden, and was a primary platform for promoting British Asian music abroad. Ritu has also broadcast for BBC World Service, Kiss 100, and the BBC Asian Network. A Rough Guides CD compiler, and London Music Board + EBU chart panel member, Ritu co-created the world’s longest running South Asian club nights: Kuch Kuch and Club Kali. A musical chameleon, her repertoire includes Soul, Disco, Motown, Pop, House, Drum n’ Bass, as well as Turkish, Greek, African, Latin, and Middle-Eastern sounds. She is renowned as a Bollywood & World Music specialist, plus was a pivotal catalyst of the 90s Asian Underground Scene. Ritu comperes events and DJs at various festivals & venues like The Southbank Centre, Rich Mix, BFI, Tate Britain and numerous nightspots!