Sal's king of the Fringe

July 3, 2008

THERE are just not enough hours in the day for Asian Elvis, Sal Bashir, as his career takes off.

His first record, Elvis Lives, was due to get its first airing on BBC Radio Asia Network on Tuesday.

He'll be performing live at Newham Town Show, Central Park, East Ham, on July 12 and 13.

And he's been signed up as a headline act at the world-famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.

Sal, 43, of Frinton Road, East Ham, will be part of the very first Asian mini festival at the festival fringe.

It's being called Invasian and will feature music, dance, drama, film and art from India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Japan.

Sal will perform his Elvis tribute, titled Bend It Like Elvis, and also has a role in a play, Soul Traders, set in the 1960s.

He says: "The Edinburgh Festival has never done an Asian section before. Kevin Williams, who owns Club West show promoters and has been involved with the Edinburgh Festival for 10 years, wanted to find as many acts from the Asian continent as possible. He scoured the internet and saw my website.

"My family are from Pakistan, so we met and got on like a house on fire and he asked me to appear in Invasian.

"I'm really excited."

Sal has been concentrating on his showbiz career since quitting his job as a purchasing contracts manager with South West Trains three years ago. And he's had plenty of work at Asian festivals like last year's East London Mela in Barking Park.

But now he's facing a big step up with Edinburgh, and with his first record.

"I'm not expecting to be the next Michael Jackson, but it has been my dream to record a song and now I'm living that dream. I am really over the moon."

Sons Imran, 14, Rayhaan, 12, and Rahmaan, six, are proud of their dad and Sal is hoping they'll be able to make the trip up to Scotland to see him in action.

But most of us will have to make do with seeing him perform at Newham Town Show.

Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/http-www-bdrecorder-co-uk-co