The DesiVibes UK Freshers Tour begins October 3^rd! Award-winning superstar Mumzy Stranger and his protégé Junai Kaden will be headlining. The many supporting acts include Mumzy Stranger’s newest signing Char Avell and the feisty and fierce Tasha Tah.

Ahead of their 15-city tour, the four Tiffin Beats Family members are each giving an exclusive interview to SimplyBhangra every Friday!

This week: Char Avell

“The harsh realities that surrounded me did not stop me...”

Char, it's wonderful to feature you! Tell us about your background and your journey so far.

Music has inspired me from a tender age.

Growing up in the heart of East London played a major role in my music and upbringing. The harsh realities that surrounded me constantly and the major setbacks I had in my life, such as being homeless at a certain point and losing my dad at a young age, did not stop me from fulfilling my lifelong passion to become a singer.

My family’s lack of understanding about my love for music was because it conflicted with their beliefs and certain traditions that I was brought up with. This caused constant bedlam in my household. But, instead of giving it all in for the sake of my family, I took their words as motivation to prove them wrong and to get them on my side.

How did you then come to sign to Mumzy?

I went to my local supermarket and had my headphones on full blast, bopping my head. I can't remember what song I was listening to, but I remember singing along to it. Little did I know and the next thing I see; Mumzy Stranger and Junai Kaden are watching me! So, we started to talk, and here I am.

From being signed to now, how much have you learned under Mumzy’s tutelage?

I’ve learned a lot and still am learning from Mumzy Stranger. He is a fantastic all-around music person and a great and humble guy.

“I'm flattered to be compared to Trey Songz.”

Your singing style is very Soulful, and you’ve already been favourably compared to Trey Songz! What are your thoughts on that? Are you a fan of his?

I'm flattered to be compared to Trey Songz. He is a great artist. I listen to lot of his music and a lot of other artists and groups such as 112 and Boys II Men.

Tell us about your upcoming material. What kind of sound should we prepare for?

My first single is out in November. It’s produced by Mumzy Stranger and it features Junai Kaden. It fuses the Punjabi vocals of Junai with my RnB vibe and is a club banger!

“You'll see what I'm about on this tour!”

All three of you will be on the Freshers Tour in October and you’ll of course be showcasing your new material there. What can we expect from these shows?

Simply; the tour is going to be sick. I can't wait. There is a lot of home-grown talent from the Asian scene performing with us, which is great. I’ll be doing my thing and you'll see what I'm about on this tour!

Mumzy Stranger, Junai Kaden, Char Avell and Tasha Tah all extend this message to the SimplyBhangra readers on behalf of the Tiffin Beats Family:

Thank you for all the constant support we receive from the SimplyBhangra readers. It’s really important that we as a scene are constantly supporting each other and promoting each other. United, we become stronger! At the end of the day, we are here for the fans – much love to all of you! Thank you to SimplyBhangra for all the good work and support!

Check back next Friday for Junai Kaden’s interview, the final of our four exclusives.

In the meantime, visit DesiVibesUK.com for Freshers Tour 2011 tickets and info.

Interview by Govinda Lakha.

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