Born in Calcutta and jamming with J Lo? Yes, there really is a lucky man out there who has this claim to fame and his name is Joy Basu. With the release of his new album "Sinergy," I thought it would be a good idea to interview this talented star and have the rest of the world read about the man behind the scenes of today's hottest music.

Pauleen Arneja: Joy there are probably a lot of people out there who've heard your music but have no idea that Joy Basu is the man behind that guitar! Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you've done.
Joy Basu: Sup everyone, thanks for checking out this interview. I have been living in LA for about 13 yrs and loving it. Since moving here I have been working as a musician and producer. I have released 2 solo albums and performed and/or produced on about 10 CDs. Performed with some great pop stars like J-LO, Jessica Simpson, Angie Stone, CoCo Lee, Joi, and Nick Lachey. My television performances include The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The Newlyweds, Carson Dally, The View, Rosie O Donnell, Disney Concert and a few Award Shows. My solo music has been licensed and used by MTV for the show Undressed, by ABC for Passions and NBC for promoting over a dozen shows. I have been fortunate to be able to travel around the world doing what I love: Makin' Music!

PA: Joy, you were born in Calcutta, India and came to the United States at the age of two. When did you discover your passion for music? What or who were your influences for this?
JB: I moved back to India when I was 6 for about 3 years. During that time my neighbor turned me on to Disco. That was my first love for music. When I moved back to the States, Disco was still huge. I remember really being into Saturday Night Fever and Meco's version of Star Wars. Soon after that I started listening to Rock and Metal. When I started playing guitar my influences were Van Halen, Kiss, Journey, AC/DC, etc.

PA: Growing up you must have come across many struggles in your pursuit of this career. Did the fact that you were of Indian origin cause any hindrance? Did anybody try to discourage you from following your dream? What did you do to overcome it?
JB: In the beginning being Indian did not make much of a difference as far as the music scene was concerned. Of course everyone tried to discourage me from doing what I am doing. I was 15, partying all the time and wanted to be a rock star. Any parent or school counselor at that point would have thought I was out of my mind. But I was already playing shows and loving that lifestyle. There was nothing else I was going to do. Once my parents saw I was really serious about it they were very supportive.

PA: You've performed with many famous faces such as Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez. Desi faces are just starting to appear in Hollywood, did you find it was difficult to try to break into an industry where mostly Caucasian and African-Americans dominate?
JB: Not at all. I really broke into the big gigs when the whole Latin thing was really in. My skin color probably helped getting some of the gigs.

PA: Tell us a little more about the sounds of your music. How is your music different from others? What sorts of influences have inspired your music? What style would you say your music is? What sort of audience do you think your music appeals to?
JB: I have had so many influences in my music and I think that has helped set me apart from many others. I listen to, enjoy, learn and take from just about all styles. My first CD appealed to mostly guitar players and rock fans. SinErgy appeals to guitar players and electronic music lovers. My new stuff appeals to anyone who enjoys dance club stuff with an Indian influence. It has the thump and energy of a loud dance club with thousands of people dancing along with the soul of deep Indian melodies.

PA: Tell us about your latest album Sinergy. What makes this album unique from other music you have made?
JB: SinErgy is kind of a transitional CD for me. It has rock guitars playing over trance and electronica grooves. I start brushing on the Indian influences on SinErgy as well. My Mom's Indian slide guitars, Shauna's voice, some of the melodies I played on ReJonmo and Clarity, sitar sounds and tablas add to the Indian vibe over trance.

If you would like to read more information (and there is a lot) about Joy Basu check out his website at www.joybasu.com.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Feel free to send Pauleen an e-mail @ Pauleen Arneja.