Identity Crisis

Popular and recent Punjabi albums like ‘Romantic Jatt’ by Miss Pooja,Diljeet Dosanjh – The Next Level,Youngster 2 Gabroo boast of a swanky look and feel. As Ravinder Rangowal,a prominent director of music albums in Punjab points out,“youngsters now want an English touch to the album. Along with the usual lyrics,rap is favoured,both in English and Punjabi and this is not an urban phenomenon,young people in villages have got advanced too,” he reasons.

The change in taste is reflected elsewhere too. Balwinder Singh,owner of Sethi Musico,a music shop in Ludhiana’s posh Sarabha Nagar market,says the sale of the music album of ‘Heer Ranjha’,starring popular Punjabi actor-cum-singer Harbhajan Mann,is not as much as other racy Punjabi albums.

Simar Pangli,also a director of Punjabi music albums,agrees that the demand for ‘Punjabiyat’ is seen more in the NRI crowd. When they organise live shows,they want the flavour of rural Punjab. This,he says,is managed well by Punjabi movies. “A film can straddle the two worlds,and combine the appeal too. With a large number of Punjabis living abroad,movies can encompass a wide range. But music videos,which have only a few minutes to catch one’s attention,flaunt glamorous western settings,” sums up Simar.

Glamorous settings,of course,include malls,which are favoured as a backdrop for music videos. Rangowal says the aspiration factor plays a big role here. “Youth in towns and villages have seen enough of the countryside. They want to be in malls and plush markets in cities,and songs with these backdrops have an instant appeal for them,” reasons Rangowal.

But doesn’t this Western influence herald an age of fusion music? Popular Punjabi singer Pammi Bai says fusion music is what Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan did,and he won worldwide acclaim for it. “The use of western instruments is fine. Many young artists have done good work and are selling well too. Music is never nude or vulgar – it is the videos that play spoilsport,” asserts Pammi. Lend an ear!

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