has formal training in Indian classical music, besides also learning Western, Persian and East European traditional music.
A few days after discovering Niyaz, I came across another musician most of whose songs are in another language that I do not understand, Spanish. Curumin (a.k.a. Luciano Nakata Albuquerque) is of Brazilian and Japanese descent and plays a brand of music that locals call “samba-funk”.

He’s also part of San Francisco’s hip-hop collective, Quannum Project, which was co-founded by American DJ and producer, DJ Shadow. Curumin’s music is of the kind that is so catchy that it hooks you instantly. Besides, if you don’t know Spanish, you don’t have to bother much about the lyrics and concentrate on the music that is very danceable too.

Curumin has also done a couple of offbeat soundtracks for a couple of Nike TV ads that are worth checking out (ad link 1 and ad link 2) and his most recent album, Japan Pop Show, is well worth picking up. A highlight of Curumin’s music is the cavaquinho that he plays. The instrument is like a mini guitar with four strings and, I learnt, originated in Portugal.

After discovering Niyaz and Curumin, I was on a roll trying to discover more bands that sing in other languages. The next band to turn up on my iPod was called Kinky. A Mexican five-member ensemble, Kinky play alternative rock and are based in Monterrey, Mexico. Kinky are known for their flamboyant live shows and their music has an appealing punk feel to it—gritty and bare. They’re also known to occasionally destroy their instruments on stage, keeping alive an authentic rockstar tradition.

But being a rock band in Mexico is evidently not easy, as I found out while listening to an interview with Kinky’s members on an Internet radio station. Playing gigs at nightclubs can become an ordeal because of the mafia, which seems to control many of these clubs.

Kinky though have managed to break out of all that by touring across the world and playing at US music festivals alongside bands like Cake, The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse. Kinky have released six albums, the latest being Barracuda, which came out in February. It’s a sweaty, party-ready and full-bodied album with 13 tracks. If you like electronic rock, this album’s for you...

Sanjoy Narayan is Editor-in-chief of Hindustan Times