The Kominas

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Kominas


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|USA Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genre = Taqwacore
Years_active =
Label =
URL =
Current_members = Basim Usmani
Shahjehan Malik Khan
Arjun Ray
Karna Ray
Danny Dhol Drums
Past_members = Adam Is
James Drew
David Pierce

The Kominas (Urdu: کمینہ ) (In Urdu and Punjabi, "Kamina" means "bastard") are a Punjabi taqwacore punk band from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Current members are Basim Usmani (bass), both Shahjehan Khan and Arjun Ray (guitar), Karna Ray (drums), and Danny Dhol Drums (dhol). They all share vocal duties with the audience. Former drummers include Adam Is, James "Jameelah" Drew, and David Pierce.

Their first song written and recorded but never released, except on their website and myspace, titled "Rumi was a Homo (But Wahhaj Is a Fag)", which was written and uploaded by Muslim Wake Up! in response to recent homophobic comments made by the imam Siraj Wahaj. Since then, the next big singles to be released were titled "Sharia Law in the U.S.A", "Ayesha" and "Dishoom, Baby".

The music and imagery typically draws from anti-colonial and moghul art, American movements related to Islam, such as Moorish Science, five percenters ("9,000 Miles" is based on a line from the English Lesson C-1 in W.D. Fard's Supreme Wisdom Lessons, the studied text of the Nation of Islam), and Desi culture, such as Bhangra, punjabi folklore, Sufi saints from Punjab (Bulleh Shah), Islam, Hinduism and Bollywood ("Dishoom, Baby!" was a tribute to the film "Sholay").

Their work has been featured on MTV Desi, [cite web
url= http://www.mtvdesi.com/news/story.jhtml?id=1527713
title= 'Halal Beats' From The Kominas
accessdate= 2008-03-09
author=
date= 2006-03-04
publisher= MTV Desi
archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070814151638/http://www.mtvdesi.com/news/story.jhtml?id=1527713
archivedate= 2007-08-14
quote= ] Muslim Wake Up!, [cite web
url= http://www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2004/12/masjid_taqwacor.php
title= Masjid Taqwacore: Introducing the Kominas
accessdate= 2008-03-09
author= Michael Muhammad Knight
authorlink= Michael Muhammad Knight
date= 2004-12-10
publisher= Muslim Wakeup!] Chowrangi Magazine, and is being taught in an Honor's curriculum by the University of Arkansas alongside other Desi artists, including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Skidmore College's Music Against Hatred concert also showcased "Rumi was a Homo" in a segment dedicated to Muslim Punk, as a protest song against homophobia from within the American Muslim community.

April 18, 2006 saw the publication of an article titled "The Clash" in the "Boston Globe", dedicated entirely to the Kominas, their fans, trials, etc. [cite web
url= http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2006/04/18/the_clash/
title= The clash: Punk meets Islam in a local band that shreds stereotypes
accessdate= 2008-03-09
author= Omar Sacirbey
date= 2006-04-18
work= The Boston Globe
publisher= The New York Times Company]

With Basim Usmani moving to Pakistan to work for a newspaper, The Kominas are on a gigging hiatus but with all the lead vocals and bass recorded before Usmani left their full length CD is still set to be released in the near future when it is finished.

References

The Kominas' debut album "Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay" is [http://www.taqwacore.freebiehost.net/store.htm now available]

External links

*
* [http://www.kimbadawi.com Photostory by Kim Badawi]
* [http://www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2004/12/masjid_taqwacor.php Muslim Wakeup Article on the Kominas]
* [http://www.uark.edu/misc/honors/honors.info/colloquiaSpring2006.htm "Middle Eastern Popular Music" U. Arkansas Honors Colloquia Spring 2006]
* [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007030327,00.html "Never mind the Burkas"] "The Sun"
* [http://apollo.skidmore.edu/news/news.release.detail_show?p_news_id=1130 Skidmore Press release on "Music Against Hatred"]
* [http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2066036,00.html The Guardian UK]
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18986984/site/newsweek/ Newsweek Piece]
* [http://www.bwtvf.com/media.coverage.php?mid=260 Taqwacore Documentary Wins 2nd Place at Banff World Television Festival]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16654842/allah_amps_and_anarchy&cid=0/ Rolling Stone Magazine]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/7024784.stm BBC Newsnight]
* [http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/17337 PRI's The World]