Feature

By Ambika Behal and Mayank S. Bubna

Oye Soniye! Bhangra has Arrived

The first time I heard Punjabi MC and Jay-Z’s combo “Beware of the Boys” (“Mundian to Bach ke”) blaring from the radio back in 2003 sometime, I had to stop, look around and pinch myself. What was Rajinder Rai - better known as Punjabi MC - doing with Jay-Z in America?

Living in the United Kingdom, faithful Non-Resident-Indians (NRIs), especially those in South Asian “hotspots” like London, are exposed to the great Bhangra scene on an almost daily basis.

As a kid growing up in London in the 80s, I remember the Indian-takeover of mainstream music, not with a Bollywood import, but with reggae artist Apache Indian, who appeared on the scene with the still-popular Bhangra-like mix, “Arranged Marriage”. Incidentally, Apache Indian, slightly older but still singing, was opening for Jamaican import, Sean Paul in the United States a few years ago. Up until this period, the South Asian-American crowd had generally missed out on the Desi music invasion.

Punjabi MC’s collaboration with rapper Jay-Z, and the excitement this has created in the record industry may be indicative of a change in not only the South Asian American scene, but also in the mainstream American (and global) audience at large. Not only have Indian fashions started appearing everywhere from high-end couture houses to Target, but articles to educate Americans on aspects of Indian culture are appearing in newspapers and, most importantly for music-lovers, Bhangra and Bollywood beats are joining the mainstream.

Global Evolution
People are actually just discovering that South Asians have been mainstream for many years. Freddie Mercury of the famous British rock band Queen was an Indian Parsee who started his first band at St. Peter’s boarding school in Panchgani, outside Bombay. He later arrived in London, making his musical endeavors history. South Asian artists have become confident enough to sing in their own culturally diverse way, reflecting the new wave of acceptance today.

Recently, the musical scene in the western hemisphere has expanded for NRI newcomers–British medical school dropout, Jay Sean, has ballooned in popularity not only among western audiences, but also among those in India looking for a new take on a “singing Punjabi”. Canadian-born Raghav also kicked off in the United Kingdom and regularly performs to full houses in the United States. Also, Juggy D, with Rishi Rich and Veronica, had a hit after breaking into the Bollywood song scene with “Mere Dil Vich” in the trendy Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee film Hum Tum.

American Opinions
Although Bhangra music has been a fixture in New York City nightclubs for a few years now, the sound bytes are now wafting through the speakers of a more diverse audience. Non-South Asians have discovered that the beats of Bhangra echo along the lines of American hip-hop, and people of all ages are beginning to enjoy the song and dance of Bollywood music more than ever before.

Influenced by her enthusiasm for Bollywood films, Carolina Murgado, a New York University graduate student from Colombia, thinks the popularity of South Asian music will continue to expand in the West and throughout the rest of world. “Young people today are always looking for something new, and with internet and mass media making all kinds of music readily available, many people will become fascinated with the different beats and good vibes that Indian music brings to its listeners,” she told ABCDlady.

We asked Mike Planas, former DJ in Washington D.C., if he thought Bhangra has a future in the U.S: “I think with how everything has transpired, it has a good possibility. For the first time ever, you had a hip hop and country artist together with Nelly and Tim Mcgraw. Then you have unlikely teammates Jay-Z and Linkin Park. You’re finding so many makes of music. I don’t doubt that you will hear the [Bhangra] Jay-Z track ever again. Is it popular in the traditional scene, no—I wouldn’t say that. Younger adults will enjoy it in the format that it’s been introduced already, which is mixed together with hip hop and house.”

So what does the future hold for Bhangra and Bollywood in the western hemisphere? Plenty! South Asian music has the advantage of a huge, receptive audience worldwide. And with the daring and talent of upcoming stars like Punjabi MC, it’s clear that Bhangra and Bollywood in America aren’t going to disappear anytime soon.

Ambika is from an extended family of Bhangra greats. She is advising them to go Bollywood and share a cut of their prospective fortunes.

Mayank S. Bubna is a grad student at NYU.

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