BBC Radio 1 - Listen to and interact with all of Radio 1's shows. World leading DJs play the latest new music from Dance, R&B, Indie, Rock, UK Garage, Drum & Bass and Hip Hop. There's also the biggest names in entertainment radio from Chris Moyles to Vernon Kay. Hear exclusive live tracks, major celebrity interviews and win unique prizes. Also download shows as podcasts.

Chris Moyles


Email Biography Wed 00.00-02.00 In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions Bobby's Biography Bobby joined the BBC in 2002 co-presenting with Nihal on BBC Radio 1 on the Sony Gold award winning 'Bobby Friction & Nihal presents' - and joined the BBC Asian Network in 2005 presenting the station's Saturday afternoon 'Album Chart Show', before moving to 'The Mix', on Sunday afternoons. He is now presenting the week nightly ‘Friction’ show on the Network, which like the Radio 1 programme is regarded worldwide as the gold standard for Asian Music & Desi Beats. Bobby, who is from West London, is a hugely influential figure on the Asian club scene and a sought after broadcaster with wide appeal to Asian youth. He won his 2nd Gold Sony award in 2005 for his BBC documentary on the Elections and the BNP in Burnley called 'Vote Friction', and completed a hat trick after winning his 3^rd Sony Gold in 2007 for his ‘Friction’ show the BBC Asian Network. His career as a DJ started with a residency at the legendary Swaraj @ The Blue Note, which showcased new Asian talent and sounds from across the Asian musical world in the late 90’s. He was also the first resident DJ at the equally renowned Shaanti club at The Custard Factory, in Birmingham, the first Asian club outside of London which mixed up various genres from across the Asian music scene. Over the years Bobby has represented British Asian sound as a DJ all over the world and has built an international reputation as a genre mixing turntabilist from Asia to the US, and from the Middle East to the whole of Europe. He was one of the founder members of the band Ecostani and still works alongside The Infinite Scale, his production partner. They been recording their own original material for the last nine years and they’ve worked on numerous remixes, taking in Electronica to Bhangra, House to Hip-Hop, through Bollywood and back again. Bobby has also recorded tracks with the Mercury Music Award nominated Black Star Liner, starred in the BBC 1 documentary ‘This England’ and fronted the Channel 4 TV show ‘Bollywood Star’. He has also presented documentaries ‘The Countryside Sucks’ & ‘Generation 7/7’ for Channel 4 and is a regular face on TV in the UK. His British Asian Urban compilation ‘Friction’ (On Sony India) sold a quarter of a million copies in the sub-continent and stayed at number 1 in the charts for 14 weeks. It has quite simply been a phenomenon and is seen by many across Asia as THE definitive album of the British/US Asian music scene. Friction 2 has been released and Bobby recently signed a three album deal with Sony BMG India. Bobby also co-released ‘Bobby Friction & Nihal Presents’ (V2 Records) with Nihal his Radio 1 partner at the end of 2004 and it has also come to be seen as a definitive Asian compilation for the UK and Europe, and a great reflection of the music they play on Radio 1. Bobby is a recognised specialist in British Asian music and Desi Beats worldwide - but is first and foremost, and will always be, a massive fan of music! Nihal's Biography Nihal has been living for music since he started promoting rap shows in his native Essex while still doing his A Levels. By the time he was about to graduate he was signed to a major label, and since then he has been a music journalist having written for Asiana, Eastern Eye, The Face, Mixmag, Hip Hop Connection and even the Observer. In the late 90s he was a Music PR working for artists as diverse as Nitin Sawhney, Judge Jules, Mos Def, Beenieman and Elton John. While working for the groundbreaking Asian record label Outcaste Records he promoted Badmarsh & Shri's seminal 'Signs' album securing their appearance on Later With Jools Holland, and Nitin Sawhney's 'Beyond Skin'. As an artist Nihal has rapped with Fun Da Mental (back in 1995), Badmarsh & Shri, Mentor , Sona Family, and DJ Sanj as well as hosting the Asian 8 Mile MC battles at his monthly clubnight Bombay Bronx. He launched his very own clubnight Bombay Bronx in May 2004 to showcase his love of Rap music, but from a distinctly Asian perspective. Since it's creation Bombay Bronx has seen some of the biggest artists in the scene perform live such as Raghav, Swami, Jay Sean, and the Mentor Kollectiv, as well as giving a platform for unsigned artists such as Sunit and Raxtstar and Serese. As well as DJing at his own clubnight Nihal has DJed the Isle Of Wight Festival, Glastonbury and the Bestival in the UK, as well as club gigs up and down the country. In 2005 alone he DJed in Bangladesh, Dubai, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, and toured America with Bobby Friction and Raghav. Nihal's TV work goes back to his first ever TV appearance presenting 'Webwise' live for BBC2 alongside Emma B in 1999. Since then he has had his own rap show on MTV Base entitled the Drop, and presented three hours of live TV every saturday for the CBBC Channel entitled the Saturday Show Extra. In August 2005 he was asked to appear on BBC2's Art School, alongside such disparate personalities as Ulrika Johnson and Keith Allen, to spend two weeks at the Chelsea School of Art. With his knowledge of music and the music industry he is regularly asked to appear on TV and comment on music related issues from the Brits and Channel 5's The Wright Stuff to MTV Base's Hip Hop Candy. If that wasn't enough he has appeared on 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' twice. Since 2004 he has presented all three series of BBC2's flagship Asian music, lifestyle, an arts show Desi DNA alongside Adil Ray and Anita Rani. Through the show Nihal has interviewed a myriad of people such as Karsh Kale and Padma Lakshmi in New York, Outlandish in Copenhagen and DJ Pathaan in Ibiza, as well as doing pieces on Jay Sean, Ms Scandalous and Freeform Five here in the UK. In 2005 both Bobby Friction and Nihal were cultural ambassadors for the successful London 2012 Olympic Bid. From using his experience of the record industry to help new artists to evolve, to helping to promote asian music round the world Nihal will never stop doing what he loves.		More Bobby and Nihal Bobby & Nihal home Photo archive Listener photos Newham Under The Stars London Mela 2008 pics DnB Special photos Nihal's video on exams Menis, Blitzkrieg and Mentor Drop In Like this? Try these Desi DNA Presents Bobby on Asian Network Panjabi Hit Squad on 1Xtra Masterpieces: The Stone Roses Hear the album in full and find out more about this classic Bobby and Nihal's links London Mela Shoot the Summer Afro Ninja bobbyfriction.com myspace.com/bombaybronx myspace.com/bobbyfriction panjabihitsquad.com BBC Blast: cool music stuff Sub Swara on Myspace Jay Sean video Watch the exclusive 1Xtra interview.