From Birmingham to Brampton: How Punjabi pop music culture made a shift with new artists embracing the genre

It was in the 1980s, almost three decades after their settlement, that the Punjabi diaspora in the UK added a new dimension to traditional Punjabi music by intertwining it with Western music, and creating what we today refer to as Punjabi pop music or Punjabi fusion music. The inclusion of Punjabi music in popular culture was a revolution in all senses. And British-Indians like recording artist-rapper-producer-disk jockey (DJ) Rajinder Singh Rai aka ‘Panjabi MC’, songwriter Steven Kapur BEM aka ‘Apache Indian’, record producer-DJ Baljit Singh aka ‘Bally Saggo’, singer-songwriter Sukshinder Pal Singh Bhullar aka ‘Sukinder Shinda’, singer-songwriter Jaswinder Singh Bains aka ‘Jazzy B’, and Heera Group UK founder-musician-composer Satwant Singh Taak, became the early revolutionaries in the movement. Soon after, new artists emerged and expanded the hybrid form of Punjabi music. Among these were producer-composer-singer Baljit Singh Padam aka ‘Dr. Zeus’, singer Jagwinder Singh Dhaliwal aka ‘Juggy D’, singer-songwriter Kamaljit Singh Sodhi aka ‘Jay Sean’, hip-hop singer-rapper Taran Kaur Dhillon aka ‘Hard Kaur’ and a band of three brothers Kuldeep, Surjeet, and Manjeet Singh, titled RDB (Rhythm, Dhol, Bass).

All these artists have been instrumental in shaping the new world of remix music through their songs and music creations. The incorporation of Western and Eastern influences and its impact on Punjabi music culture not only led to the meteoric rise of the Punjabi music industry across the globe but also paved the way for the new music to become a part of mainstream Indian culture. Today, it is no more surprising to find Punjabi chartbusters in Bollywood!

While all of it started in the UK, new avenues for Punjabi migrants opened in Canada, Australia, and other countries in the last decade of the 20th century. For the Punjabi youth, Canada became the land of their dreams where another ‘Little Punjab’ was waiting to be established. In only a quarter-century, the Punjabi diaspora in Canada has built a strong identity amid multiculturalism. The migration of Punjabis to Canada has further influenced indigenous art, music, and culture. Punjabi popular music which was born in the UK witnessed new development in Canada as Punjabi-Canadian youth embraced the genre. The rise of rapper-singer slain Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu aka ‘Sidhu Moose Wala’ in Canada is the glaring evidence of pop music culture thriving in the country with a newly added vibe of Canadian influence, much different from the original pop music which came to life in the UK. Besides Moosewala’s works, singers and rappers such as Shubhneet Singh aka ‘Shubh’, Deep Jandu, Jaskaran Singh aka ‘Karan Aujla’, Amritpal Singh Dhillon aka ‘AP Dhilllon’, Fateh Singh aka ‘Fateh Doe’, and Jonita Gandhi, among others, have contributed significantly to popularise Punjabi music in Canada and adding a new streak to the music form.

As per sources, by 2016, Punjabi music grew by 80 per cent over two to three years in Canada. This means that it is no longer limited to the Punjabi diaspora in the UK but has expanded to the Pacific land as well. With the growth of artists, the social media boom, and Punjabis crossing physical and cultural boundaries, we can only hope that popular Punjabi music is on its way to transcending all barriers and strengthening its way to global glory!