Tia's Talk with Deejay Publicity (Manish Sharma)

StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto- I had a chance of talking to leading club Deejay Publicity (Manish Sharma). It was an interesting talk.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and rasied in Scarborough, Ontario and did most of schooling here as well other then University which I did at Mcmaster, in Hamilton.

How do you think the environment you were in and your surroundings shaped for what you do now?

I had a great musical influence at home with both my parents and siblings. My parents were huge fans of Folk Punjabi music and classic bollywood songs. Whereas my siblings were always listening to what was popular and new in both urban and south asian music.

What led you to realize that you wanted to be a DJ and a song writer?

I always was fascinated with DJ’s and the ability they had to control the crowd. Even in a young age I was more fascinated with what the DJ was doing in a music video rather than the artist singing.


How do you think you are impacting the south asian community with
your talent and art?

I think by bringing South Asian music to mainstream venues and clubs in Toronto we are making it more of the norm to hear our specific genre in a heavily urban environment. I personally have been a summer resident DJ at 3 of the biggest clubs in Toronto (Guvernment, Sound Academy (Formerly Docks) and Circa Nightclub. In turn being a South Asian DJ is helping promote our culture and heritage and showcase it to the city.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on two mixtapes, while touring Canada. I have done numerous club events in cities all across North America including New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Montreal, Vancouver, to name a few. Also I am one of the main DJ’s for North America’s largest party “Bombay Nights” which is held every month at Hard Rock Café.

What do you have in mind for the near future?

The near future has endless possibilities, I am planning to hit Europe and Asia this summer to tour, and have been working with some great artists on my upcoming and highly anticipated ‘Publicity Stunt’ mixtape series. In addition to that I am bringing up some new DJ talent and am getting ready for some new projects that are being started in 2011.

Careerwise what is the one thing that has been very special to you?

For the past 7 years I have been able to tour the continent and move the masses. It is truly the most unique experience to have been able to play alongside some amazing artists and play in some of the biggest cities. I feel fortunate to have toured Canada 3x hitting every major city.

Do you have any particular music project you have wanted to work on or be a part of?

I have always wanted to team up with some artists and DJ’s to make a socially conscience remix and donate the sales from Itunes to an influential non profit organization. If you are interested, let me know!!