In the beginning there was Bhangra!
British Asian music began with Bhangra! Punjabis migrating to the UK after partition, in 1947, brought the sounds from the fields with them.
During the 60s and 70s, Punjabi folk singers, A.S.Kang, Kuldip Manak and Chamkila provided the inspiration for many UK artists, where taped recordings blared out of secluded halls. Not until the 80's did artists begin developing traditional sounds into a new British Asian musical genre. In 1982, Southall's Alaap, released their album 'Teri Chunni De Sitaray', which played a vital role in creating interest amongst the young Asian community. Bands such as听Apna Sangeet, Premi, Chirag Pechane and听Malkit Singh established themselves as household names as the 'Bhangra Explosion' of the mid 80's saw the introduction of night time club gigs, the UK Asian Pop Awards and the infamous Bhangra Daytimers.
The clash of being caught between two different cultures began to take effect as traditional folk rhythms and Western sounds began to be heard together. UK artists such as Heera started to mix Western drums and synthesisers with traditional Punjabi instruments.听First generation Asians began to explore and adapt their musical heritage, and by the late 1980s Bhangra had embarked on a brand new sound.
Re-mix!
The introduction of sampling, introduced by The New Pardesi Music Machine and Shaktee,听allowed the Asian sound to take its first leap into the mainstream during the mid 90s.听Acts such as Jazzy B, The Sahotas,听DCS and B21 captured the imagination of young Asians by showcasing young, up-and-coming musicans, producers and singers with a slicker and funkier image.听The master of remixes, Bally Sagoo became the first Urdu/Hindu singer to enter the British pop chart when 'Dil Cheez'听shot to听Number 12 in 1996.
Once Island Records signed deals with Sagoo and Brummie born Apache Indian, Bhangra had successfully entered popular culture. The 21st century has seen an early trend for Bhangra artists to sample everything it can get its hands on, from the Knight Rider theme in Punjabi MCs 'Mundian Te Bach Ke' (which reached Number 5 in the听UK chart in听2002) to听Tigerstyle's 'Nachna Onde Nei', a wholly original melding of Michael Jackson's ' Billie Jean' and Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby'.
Today artists like Sukshinder Shinda, Aman Hayer,听Juggy D and Mehsopuria are producing music for a new generation based on root influences from the Punjab, which they hope will be recognised and respected 'back home' in India.
Deep in the East End of London...
During the growth of Bhangra, a different set of musicians were forming the Asian Underground. Based in the East End of London, Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawheny, ADF, Transglobal Underground and State of Bengal played to Western audiences in clubs like Hoxton's The Blue Note. Evolving out of a need to represent a silent minority, Asian Underground mixed gritty Jungle, Electronica and Drum'n'Bass with complex rhythmical patterns of Indian classical music.
This new sound created a commotion across all cultures. With mainstream DJs such as Weatherall and Rampling behind it, this new Anglo Indian sound gained momentum. Talvin Singh won the Mercury Prize for his album 'OK' and the sound soon crossed the waters to give added strength to the Asian Massive movement in the US . New club nights across the country provided a home to this new genre of DJs, including Fabric, Cargo, 33 Club and Birmingham's Medicine Bar.
A new movement
Today, a new breed of musicians are concentrating on breaking down cultural barriers and removing stereotyping, where there is no history, rules听or agendas. Rishi Rich's ability to create authentic, traditional Asian music, while also producing underground hip-hop beats, smooth RnB and Pop mainstream cuts, has established him as a cutting edge producer. Jay Sean's 'Eyes On You' reached Number 6 in the UK mainstream chart in 2004. While听Swami 's desi, hip hop, breakin' urban vibes purposely blur the lines between the rival Bhangra and Asian underground scenes. His mammoth 'Desi Rock' was voted as one of the DJ Tracks of the 2004 by Radio 1.
British Asian sound has firmly established itself in the UK, its roots remain strong but it grows more and more confident to travel the soundscapes and shake up the mainstream music industry.
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