Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Monday November 21 at 8pm. Tickets from £15 from 020 8688 9291 or at www.fairfield.co.uk

L OCAL musician Paul Batik, 39, entertains on home ground when the chart-topping group Botown play The Fairfield on Monday.

The multi-cultural band has topped the UK Asian chart with a sound that reinvents Bollywood grooves by giving them a twist of soul. And part of the magical mix is contributed by Paul, who for 18 years has been a professional trumpeter.

Born in Croydon, now a family man settled in nearby Waddon, Paul fell in love with the trumpet after listening to the likes of Miles Davis, Lee Morgan and John Coltrane.

He was a teen when his parents bought him his first trumpet.

"I was self-taught initially, from books and from hanging around with other musicians basically," he said.

"I loved everything to do with jazz and soul and listened to all the greats."

And eventually while holding down a part-time job he became a regular on the jazz circuit playing with legends such as Courtney Pine, and at numerous venues throughout the UK and London including Ronnie Scott's and the local Hideaway.

"I also did a lot of session work, and then a mutual friend in the music business introduced me to Botown band leader Ajay," said Paul.

"I auditioned for him in late 2009, ever since then it's been fantastic!"

He describes the Botown sound as a musical bridge between soul and Bollywood.

And it's known for bringing the house down in previous tours including sell-out London shows at the Jazz Cafe, Rich Mix and Artsdepot.

Band leader Ajay explains: "Bollywood and soul are both music of the people. I've always been passionate about both, so combining the two is a musical dream come true. Fans of both music genres will be at home at the gig."

A promise endorsed by Paul.

He said: "Everyone gets involved, singing and dancing. It's a party!"

Audiences new to Botown will find the music totally familiar and the same time different to anything they've heard before.

Ajay, a UK-born musician with top-ten hits in India, put the band together in 2009, having previously worked with artists as diverse as Jamiroquai, Gregory Isaacs and the King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan. Their debut single Roop Tera from their album Soul Of Bollywood hit the number one spot on the Official Asian Download Chart in the UK.

The Botown band line-up combines many of the instruments familiar to soul music – drums, bass, horn section, guitar – plus Indian percussion including a dhol and male and female vocals which are well known to fans of Bollywood. It all adds up to a full-on Bollywood soul funk experience.

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country on this current tour, Paul is thrilled to be playing so close to home.

"It's an absolute pleasure to be playing here and I expect there will be lots of friends and family in the audience," he said.

"It's a blessing to be able to play the trumpet for a living."

See the band on YouTube www. youtube.com/watch?v>EwLg2aYSREw

Visit reverbnation.com/botown to hear the sounds of Botown