British India are an Australian indie rock band, formed in Melbourne in 2004. The band comprises lead vocalist, lyricist and guitarist Declan Melia, guitarist Nic Wilson, bassist Will Drummond and drummer Matt O'Gorman. They have released five studio albums.

History

Formation and early work

The members of British India met at high school, forming when friends Declan Melia and Nic Wilson asked schoolmates Will Drummond and Matt O'Gorman to join their band, whilst attending St. Bede's College, in Melbourne, Australia, in 2004. Reportedly social misfits throughout high school, the band would converge during school lunchtimes and study periods to rehearse and compose in the school music room and as this occurred the quartet played cover versions of songs by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Beatles, Blur, and Starsailor. The band's name was originally noticed by Wilson on a b-side by Strawberry Alarm Clock. In 2005, after playing regularly across Australia for a year, the band signed with In-Fidelity Recordings and began work on their debut EP, with producer Lindsay Gravina. In June 2005 they released a single, "Outside 109 / Automatic Blitzkrieg". The song's inspiration came from a quip made by Mick Jagger in an interview in 1964. Melia told Australian Music Online the song's lyrics referred to the band's gigging in Melbourne, and "being just outside of national recognition".

Provinces of India, earlier Presidencies of British India and still earlier, Presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in the subcontinent. In one form or other they existed between 1612 and 1947, conventionally divided into three historical periods.

India? is the third studio album by the band Suns of Arqa, recorded and released in 1984 by Rocksteady Records. The album was produced by Suns of Arqa founder Michael Wadada. It is their fourth album overall when including their 1983 live album with Prince Far I, and this is indicated subtly on the spine with the letters "Vol IV". The spine also reads "Such big ears, but still you can't see".

'India?' is a radical departure from the style of the previous two albums Revenge of the Mozabites and Wadada Magic. As the title suggests, this album has a strong Indian feel to its arrangements and instrumentation. It has not been released on CD, however three of the five tracks have found their way onto other Suns of Arqa CD releases.

Track A1 'Give Love' which features Ras Michael appears on the 1991 compilation CD 'Land of a Thousand Churches', and tracks A3/B2 (Kalashree/Vairabi) both appear on the 1992 CD Kokoromochi.

The sleevenotes for this LP include thank-yous to Adrian Sherwood, Style Scott, Gadgi, Martin Hannett, Chris Nagle and Kevin Metcalf.

India (Syriac: Beth Hindaye) was an ecclesiastical province of the Church of the East, from the seventh to the sixteenth century. The Malabar Coast of India had long been home to a thriving East Syrian (Nestorian) Christian community, known as the St. Thomas Christians. The community traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. The Indian Christian community were initially part of the metropolitan province of Fars, but were detached from that province in the 7th century, and again in the 8th, and given their own metropolitan bishop.

Due to the distance between India and the seat of the Patriarch of the Church of the East, communication with the church's heartland was often spotty, and the province was frequently without a bishop. As such, the Indian church was largely autonomous in operation, though the authority of the Patriarch was always respected. In the 16th century, the Portuguese arrived in India and tried to bring the community under the authority of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The Portuguese ascendancy was formalised at the Synod of Diamper in 1599, which effectively abolished the historic Nestorian metropolitan province of India. Angamaly, the former seat of the Nestorian metropolitans, was downgraded to a suffragan diocese of the Latin Archdiocese of Goa.

India is the first studio album by Spanish singer Vega, released on November 7, 2003 on Vale Music Spain.

History

This album represents her success after having sold more than 200.000 copies of her first single "Quiero Ser Tú" (Spanish for "I Want to Be You"), which was a task to be accomplished before being entitled to a recording contract. The album itself sold more than 110.000 copies in Spain alone.

The country, India, has always been an inspiration to Vega, and that is why she decided to name her album after it. All but two songs on the album, "That's Life" (Frank Sinatra cover) and "Believe" (K's Choice cover), were written by Vega. The eighth track, "Olor A Azahar", is dedicated to the city she was born in.

The first single from India was "Grita!", which became the best-selling single of 2003 in Spain. After the success of the first single, "La Verdad (ft. Elena Gadel)" and "Directo Al Sol" followed. Elena Gadel, a member of the girl-group Lunae, whom Vega had met during the time they were part of Operación Triunfo, also helped with the background vocals for "Grita!".