Diamond Duggal | |
|---|---|
 Diamond Duggal | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | DJ Swami |
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Electronic, pop, hip hop, bhangra, world |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter, DJ, AI researcher |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | DesiRock Entertainment, Virgin EMI, Sony Music |
| Website | Diamond Duggal DJ Swami |
Diamond Duggal also known as DJ Swami is a British-Indian music producer, composer, musician and AI researcher. He has produced for a number of notable artists, including Shania Twain, Pras Michel, Apache Indian, Maxi Priest, Stereo Nation, Zoheb Hassan and Viktor Kiraly as well as remixing for artists including Erasure, the Beat and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He is an accomplished guitar player and multi-instrumentalist (modular synthesizers, keyboards, bass, drums, DJing) and toured as lead guitarist with Boyzone and Robbie Williams. Diamond is also co-founder of production duo Simon and Diamond with his brother Simon Duggal. As DJ Swami, he performs and records electronic, Indian Punjabi bhangra and South Asian music both as a solo artist and as band leader of UK electronic world music acts Swami and PunjabTronix. DJ Swami also tours and performs in collaboration with Deep Forest.
Diamond received an Ivor Novello Awards songwriter nomination for the song Arranged Marriage[1] and his songwriting and production contributed to the Mercury Prize nomination[2] for the album No Reservations by Apache Indian. Diamond also produced and played alongside mentor Mutt Lange on the Shania Twain double Grammy Award-nominated[3] album Up!
As DJ Swami, he has won Best Producer 2005[4] and Best Producer 2008[5] at the UK Asian Music Awards. He also won the award for Best Mixed Album at the South African Music Awards 2010.[6]
His most successful solo Swami album to date was 2004's DesiRock, the title track from which has been used in a variety of films, TV shows and video games.
Diamond is Head of Music at his production, sync licensing and AI music research company DesiRock Entertainment where recent projects include film and TV sync licensing notably Netflix hit series Indian Matchmaking, artist development, international collaborations and AI music research and VR immersive experiences including the DJ Swami in the Studio AI/ VR music showcase with VR social platform Driftspace.
- ^ "Arranged Marriage". The Ivors Academy. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Every single Mercury winner + nominee from the Prize's history". Gigwise.com.
- ^ "Shania Twain". Grammy.com. 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Artists unite to celebrate British Asian Music". Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "The UK Asian Music Awards 2008". Desiblitz.com. March 8, 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "2010 SAMA Winners". News24.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.