When Billie Jean & Bhangra Collide

If you tried to emulate the late Michael Jackson’s moonwalk or swaying your zombie claws left to right at least once in your life…please raise your claw.  Only a handful of us in the world are successful or think we are at sliding our heels, MJ style.  But there is the exception with a cross-cultural twist.

Signature, a comedy-dancing duo from England fuses the King of Pop with Bhangra (Punjabi dance music that originated in India and Pakistan).  Suleman Mirza, a British Muslim of Pakistani descent and Madhu Singh, a British Sikh first made waves when they auditioned for last year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

They danced to Tigerstyle featuring Kaka Bhaniawala’s “Nachna Onda Nei.”  A Bhangra song remix of Billie Jean, and Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.”  Mirza opens with pelvic thrusts and a moonwalk across the stage.  Soon after, a culture clash erupts.  Singh enters as a cleaner interrupting Mirza, busting out some Bollywood-esque and hip-hop moves.  But put two in two together, the guys realize they dance the same beat.

After Signature’s Britain’s Got Talent audition was posted on YouTube, the video surpassed five million views.  They were crowd pleasers with the judges and audience, coming in as runners-up for the final.

What’s more appealing besides their unique act, the two friends are ordinary guys with ambitions.  Mirza, a trainee lawyer.  Singh is a PC World salesman in London’s Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5.  They met in 2000 for a talent show.  A year later, Signature was born.

Despite not winning Britain’s Got Talent, Signature’s careers are rising.  They performed at the “Hit Man: David Foster and Friends” concert in Las Vegas.  Signature also attended The Pearl in the Palms: “Las Vegas Celebrates the Music of Michael Jackson,” a tribute event for what would have been Jackson’s 51^st birthday.

And the pair appeared on Oprah, spotlighting the world’s most talented entertainers.

Signature also showed what they could do with a Bhangra Thriller during the Semi-Finals on Britain’s Got Talent 2008.

Signature – Semi Final

These two prove that if you are passionate enough about something your heart is set on accomplishing, anything is possible.  And your ethnicity does not hinder, but solidifies your own Signature talent.  As cliché as that sounds, it’s the truth.

credit: telegraph.co.uk