Joi (band)

Joi is a British alternative dub/dance music DJ team of Bangladeshi origin, originally composed of brothers Farook and Haroon Shamsher. Haroon died on 8 July 1999, and the remaining brother has continued Joi alone.

Background

Joi were brothers Farook (born 24 October 1968) and Haroon Shamsher (14 November 1965 – 8 July 1999), born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England and brought up in the East End of London. to a Bangladeshi father and an Indian mother. Their passion for music developed at a young age as their father was a professional flautist who had a shop in Brick Lane selling saris and musical instruments he imported from India. He also had Hindi, Indian classical and traditional Bengali music records, and ran a traditional music shop. Their father would organise sessions and record with Baul artists, and sell the tapes.

Farook and Haroon grew up watching Indian musicians record in a makeshift studio in their father's retails store. They grew up listening to people such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and were influenced by reggae, hip hop and soul. They fused Indian and Pakistani rhythms with modern dance grooves.