My Grandfather used to say: 'Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed.'

Today in 2008, my work in music and fashion is dedicated to my ancestors who rose against oppression, racism and bad taste over the past few centuries. The story began over 200 years ago with my great great Grandfather Terry Mardi I (the first), born in Paris in 1869. He was a rare mixed race child, his father was a french diplomat; Monsieur Thierry Mardi who fell in love with an Indian industrialists' daughter from Punjab, Preetam Sagwant. He met her on a visit to India for an agricultural meeting with Indian Politicians, I was told that the meeting was about Wheat export from India.

Terry was moved from Paris when he was only 6 months old to London and resided in a small town close to London, a town called Isleworth. He lived there until the age of 6 before being 'shipped' to India for his formal education. It was in 1875 that Terry Mardi began his schooling and was classmates with a boy named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who later became one of the worlds most remembered Lawyers. Mardi and Gandhi remained good friends, even when Mohandas Gandhi moved to London and then South Africa to practice law. Apon Gandhi's return to India, Terry Mardi had established himself as a self made Fashion Designer and had been draping high society clients that his father would introduce to him. Gandhi was becoming more and more vocal about his views against modern machinery and believed that manual labour was to be retained. He was dead against machine woven cotton and said to Mardi that he wanted to wear handwoven cotton only. Terry Mardi decided to honour Gandhi Ji's request. Terry Mardi then recreated Gandhi's look when he designed the first Tunic (in 100% handwoven cotton) for Mahatma Gandhi. This became the attire of choice for M. Gandhi and indeed it is how I remember him. I have pictures of Gandhi with the late Terry Mardi I, which I will update onto my Desi Hits page asap once they have been restored, they are quite fragile and have eroded over the years. Therafter he went on to create fashion statements for visionaries across the globe. He met with Mother Theresa who taught him many wonderful things about how to treat fellow human beings, these teachings were passed on me too.

He only had one son, he named him Terry Mardi II (this was my Gt-Gt Grandfather), he was born of an Indian mother, a poor merchants daughter. Terry Mardi II grew up as his father's apprentice and continued to design well into the 20th century. My Grandfather Terry Mardi III did not follow the family tradition of designing clothes, he went on to become an accountant, he was shunned and "kicked out" of the family for committing such a tragedy. However his wealthy background meant that he managed to make links with the world leaders in during the second world war and eventually was re-accepted by his family when he had a son and declared that he would influence his only born to go back into the family business of fabrics and clothing.

Terry Mardi IV (my father) was born during the 2nd world war and grew up seeing poverty and death first hand, he had dreams of becoming a Bollywood film director and ran away in his teens from the family palace and insisted on coming to London so he went but via East Africa, Kenya actually. Not taking any financial assistance from his wealthy family TM IV vowed never to design for the priveleged again, he slept in one room with his friends and gave up his lavish luxuries. Dad is remembered for owning just one pair of shoes and reinvented his own look like he was his own advert. A walking billboard. His iconic Mardi Moustache has left it's impression on Indians all over.

When I was born I was born with the Family mark on my face, it caused many problems growing up in the 80's, especially in London. I was taught as a child that "The Mardi Mouche" is a symbol of age and wisdom and "it is a gift from God" but my school mates who would bully me for being different wouldn't understand this, instead they beat me and I even got shot at the age of 8 when one of my white friends turned racist and his father made him spray "NF" on my house, which stands for National Front.

I wanted to shave the moustache off but it would grow back within a moment, the words of my father echoed in my mind, He would say to the woman in his life "It takes years for the average man to grow a good moustache, the Mardi blood allows us to do it in hours or days, the longer the hairs the more wise and powerful the bearer is." - when she would ask him to remove it, she was given the speech. Luckily she wasn't my mother she was Samantha Fox (my father's Mistress) and well known English page 3 model.

I last heard from a reliable source (The Sun newspaper) that Terry Mardi IV lives in the remote mountainous jungles of Bedfont, one day I shall go explore. One day.

I am Terry Mardi V (fifth) and I am now living between London and NYC, I have a home in New Delhi (it's the CAPITAL of INDIA) and Mumbai, Bollywood too. My aim is to make my ancestors proud by reinventing modern day music and embed our culture into the grain of our music and fibres of our clothes to give us all a soundtrack to our lives and the garments to make us look amazing and feel amazing. Expression. My biography will be available to read shortly.

Terry Mardi V believes: "Go Back to Where you Came From" only then can you move forward and move mountains. "Through Struggle Comes Triumph" "Never Bury your Dreams". "Rise to Power", "Geeks rule the world" "Dream Big...Think Bigger". "Gillette..The Best a Man can get" Allegedly...Uhummm!