From Deurne, Noord Brabant, The Netherlands comes this remarkable fellow: Ferohkan The Exceptional a.k.a. Ghandi. When you meet him, you will witness one piece of positive energy. A man which makes you smile and feel good. That is what his presents does with you. To be clear about his music and words, the best way to describe him in a positive way is: vague.

I better be

As part of the band Bugas Posse he hit the scene back in the days when the South Side took it over with releases by 24K, D.A.M.N., Dope Posse, North Side Stylaz and DTF etc. Bugas never released any material but performed as support act for the likes of Paris, Run-DMC, D.A.M.N., The Roots, Family Jewels and 24K. These days there is finally a CD in the pipeline containing 21 already recorded songs. And today you can find Ghandi's solo effort, the 'Stickz and Stonedz' E.P. (E.P. = Extended Play), in the special music shops.

Ghandi: "Fat Beats (Amsterdam, ed.) took 10 pieces."
AQ: "They also do distribution…"
Ghandi: "If they are interested in distributing mine, I will hear it. If they ain't interested, I will hear nothing. It's just straight from the press so I give them some time. Meanwhile I better be busy doing other things than be waiting."

The man got his nickname Ghandi, his real name is Paul Allan Ferozkhan Jhorai, when he started to wear his glasses. Indeed he got a physical resemblance, but that is the only thing they got in common.

As Ghandi travels the country by train with his man I.N.T. he does experience some difficulties to sell his E.P. to local retailers. "Soul Food didn't want to take some."-says Ghandi. What are his goals, what is the purpose of his solo release on his own Insight Nation label? Ghandi: "I want to get gigs, so I can make money with performing, being able to sell my music at those gigs."

You really have to listen to it

Sticks and stones
"Like stones, words are laborious and unforgiving, and the fitting of them together, like the fitting of stones, demands great patience and strength of purpose and particular skill."- Edmund Morrison.

Ghandi: "…With this release I want to prove that an independent release is not automatically dope."
AQ: "Well, that is a remarkable remark, ain't it?"
Ghandi: "Well I'm not good in selling myself."
AQ: "Yes, I noticed."
Ghandi: "Don't interpret it as I'm saying my own release is wack. You really have to listen to it. The record is a statement, stating this: releasing something independently is not a condition that it's super phat. The statement is also about to show that it's possible to release something yourself and do some good and fun things with it. That you can hustle yourself some gigs, that you can break even and make some profit. It's going deep. I got reactions from people who are surprised by the deepness of it. Like "Reality Is Scary."

It's indeed scary, but if you get surprised by it, it's because you want to ignore the fact that the truth always hurts. That is why that phrase always pops up as a reminder. Still this man is soft spoken and only about positive vibration. Where the lions share of representatives would represent with words as e.g.: "New kid on the block got shot/that's what happens when you front on the Docks."- E-Life and Anonymous Mis on 'In Doubt'. Ghandi kindly asks you: "Please don't front on the South Side/if you don't want to make a slide." On the track Southsights. Both lyrics pointing out the same thing: think twice.

It's not only music

Sticking stones
"Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones, but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house."- Henri Poincaré (1864-1912).

Gahndi: "With the profits from this E.P. I want to invest in new things. It's not only music, there are also a lot of other things."
AQ: "Why isn't it only music?"
Ghandi: "Because music is only one element to express yourself. A part of my identity, how I look at things and think about them. What I'm concerned about is that I connect with people who can be of any meaning to me. This ain't a standard HipHop record, on purpose. It's a statement, again. …euhm did you order something (like pizza, ed.)? I'm hearing some noises. Do you have another appointment?"
AQ: "Euhm, no?! What do you hear? …Oh that's the wind blowing around the office. On the 10th floor it can get windy."
Ghadi: "Ooh, o.k.. Hey, but do you know what I think is a little bit strange? You don't know very much about what I do in daily life besides making music."
AQ: "Well, what do you do, besides music, in daily life?"
Ghandi: "Well I also teach on schools sometimes, right?"
AQ: "And what do you teach?"
Ghandi: "Well that you can do more with music than only bragging and boasting. It (music, ed.) can help you in life."

Txt and photo: AQ

Insight Nation
Paul Allan Ferozkhan Jhorai a.k.a. Ghandi
Dieze 14
5751 XD Deurne
E-Mail:ferozkhan72@hotmail.com
Fax: 0031-(0)493-313780
Mo: 0031-(0)6-20002104