Apr 23, 2018
The transition from rap artist and Asian Beats DJ to serious journalist with strong opinions has seemed, at least on the surface, pretty seamless for DJ Nihal going from the BBC’s biggest pop station – BBC Radio 1 – to hosting key news programmes on BBC Radio 5Live and the Asian Network. Along the way he’s learned to embrace his Sri Lankan heritage, traced Buddha’s steps in India, DJed at the best parties and festivals all over the world and surprised himself by enjoying a family cruise. On his BBC Asian Network show he aims to kick the multicultural hornet’s nest and today on the Big Travel Podcast we kick just this and much more.
On this episode we cover:
His Buddhist Sri Lankan parents
Being on pretty much all BBC network
Loving radio
Working in radio
Meera Syaal
Ant and Dec
Graham Norton
16 years to be an overnight success
British Asians
Not being a British Asian
Happy not to be living in an Asian area
‘Intraculturalism’
Asian integration
Proud to be a brown person in a public role
His state school in Essex
Sir Elton John
Eric Cantona
Cara Delivigne
Kicking the multicultural hornet’s next
Getting Asians to talk about issues they would rather not talk about
Caste discrimination
Terrorism
Second generation Asians encouraging the third generations
Sri Lankan minorities
Tamil
Getting a spectators view on the Asian community
People scared of being deemed racist
Liberals attitude towards diversity
Calling out diversity at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra
Lack of diversity in the media
Idris Elba
Riz Ahmed
His family saving for family trips to Sri Lanka
Initially hating Sri Lanka!
Missing Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka soothing his soul
His wife’s family in Sri Lanka
His kids playing with their cousins in Colombo
Hopes to retired in Sri Lanka
His spiritual journey to India
Following in Buddha’s footsteps
Bodhgaya in Bihal
Finding it hard to find space to be creative
The definition of success
Feeling that your winging it
Donald Trump’s narcissism
Barcelona
Unexpectedly loving his first cruise, on Symphony of the Seas
Having a relaxing moment looking out over the Mediterranean
How holidays change when you have children
How travel is important for children
How experiences are important for children
Wanting to travel more with the children
How travel is essential to him
Feeling trapped in the UK
DJing in Australia, India, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi
Instagram families travelling the world
Not travelling on a budget
Not camping
Not interrailing
Wild nights out as a DJ
A surprise encounter in Bangkok
Dodgy happenings in Bangkok
‘The sleaze-flight out of London’
How poverty drives people to depths
Struggling with seeing sex for sale in Thailand
A club full of prostitutes in Dubai
Malawi and the Lake of Stars Festival
Travelling with the British Council
Kibera, in Nairobi, the biggest slum in Africa
Incredible wealth behind the scenes at the Grand Prix
The Spa Grand Prix in Germany
The European rich
Not having been anywhere glamorous in India
The beauty of boutique hotels in Sri Lanka
Kandala hotel Sri Lanka
Monkeys trashing your hotel room
Monkeys electrocuting themselves
Pogo-sticking it down Everest (not)
The 2016 Rio Olympics
Beach Volleyball on Copacabana beach
Being just the right side of civilised
Not hitching-hiking in Nepal
The most serene moment on his travels
Snorkelling with giant sea turtles in the Maldives
Finding the perfect record store in Beirut
Lebanese electronica and the sound of underground Beirut
Seeking out new music when travelling
Watching people truing to dance to Drum ‘n’ Bass for the first time in Nairobi
Having a moment when watching a Hip Hop acts in Kenya