Comments on: Death Disco in the Diaspora

By: Nirmala Basnayake

Nirmala Basnayake — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:15:35 +0000

Wow, I am really late to this party. I wish I'd found this post earlier -- like, A YEAR EARLIER -- so I could have responded immediately. The response? I AM a fellow Sri Lankan! (I'm sure the "-ayake" suffix in my surname gave it away.) Raised on (forgive the spelling) paripu, rice and a whole lotta curry. Disappointing my family by not getting a proper job, not even in journalism, though redeeming myself somewhat by landing the Basnayake name in a couple of newspaper articles. Honestly, the childhood-in-Ottawa backstory is totally uncompelling, but the reason it never comes up in print is because no one ever asked...until now (or, er, September 2005).

The funniest part is that I actually linked my newly formed blog to this site just last month. (The specific Sepia Mutiny post and author were, shamefully, not given explicit credit. Sorry.)

You know, it never occurred to me to search for my own damned self on a site dedicated to brown people. (That kind of attitude is itself quite "brown", no?) From now on, of course, I'll be trolling every desi web page for the mere mention of my name. haha

By: Fan

Fan — Sat, 13 May 2006 18:59:39 +0000

Music video of controller.controller’s “History” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLAA9-260E

By: SloganMurugan

SloganMurugan — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 07:07:51 +0000

Susheela Raman

It isn't disco but a fab mix of carnatic and jazz. Get seduced folks.

By: Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 21:29:48 +0000

The whole post-punk, dance-punk scene is about as innovative as punk rock itself, which is to say not that much. I mean which band has accomplished anything worthwile after Fugazi, and Gang of Four ?

By: cocorosie

cocorosie — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 21:13:05 +0000

point taken Raju

By: Raju

Raju — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:38:34 +0000

to the basic point; would you want to be told what you're lived experience as a desi-diaspora person is by an expert who does not share your lived experience? would you want the terms of your community set up outside of what y'all know is your lived experience?

bc that was my point

By: Raju

Raju — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:35:35 +0000

you don’t see the paradox from people complaining about tribalism and being on the desi tip? its just a different tribe now. not many of y’all would jump to read too many postings from a norweignwan american about the desi-diaspora. maybe one or two but more than that? doubt it. there’s almost no difference in what i was writing, other than i wrote more abstract

By: cicatrix

cicatrix — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:27:13 +0000

why are y'all on the desi tip so much? who cares if its brown?

Cuz the point of this site is to blog about the brown. And it's not like I wrote about the brown guy in SUM41, Raju.

I think controller.controller is great, and would like to see them gain a wider audience.

By: Raju

Raju — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:20:48 +0000

why are y’all on the desi tip so much? who cares if its brown?

By: mocho

mocho — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 17:21:59 +0000

Where arrack is concerned, you can't go wrong with V.S.O.P.

I have discovered neat Barcardi Oro tastes quite similar, and Latin American women are just as good as Sri Lankan women. Home away from home.