It's a typical Bathinda to Birmingham story. The second-generation Punjabi diasporas decided to draw in the best of both worlds, by combining songs of the soil with the styles of the West. Bhangra music has long taken its steps towards mainstream credibility. To cut the long story short, today Bhangra music is big, really big; courtesy the British-Asians who transformed the genre into a vibrant dance music with equally catchy lyrics. Originally meant to be the music for celebration of the harvest, it's now come to signify the urban British Asians having a good time in Southall Clubs. It's the genre that brought the 'large wooden-barrel drum' that is the dhol, to the fore.
Some tag Alaap's Bhabiye ni Bhabiye as the first Bhangra single ever. The genre cannot be summed up or rather started without ringing in Malkit Singh. Not just for the recognition that came his way in the form of an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II but for countless tracks like Jind Mahi, Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha, Tootak Tootak Tutiya, among others.
Moving on, Bally Sagoo goes down the hall of fame. The British Indian music producer can be credited with several hits and also for launching the reggae/bhangra trend known as bhangramuffin. With each famous artist came a revolution and a revelation of the fact as to how a dhol beat could be submerged with any Western musical style or instrument.
The nineties ended but not the popularity of Bhangra music. Increasingly, some of the top artists were playing big venues and their efforts at popularising the genre were further bearing fruits.
Then come some of the other instrumental names like Punjabi By Nature, Punjabi MC, Rishi Rich, Rhythm Dhol, Sahotas, Sukshinder Shinda, Bombay Talkie, Daler Mehndi.
Today the genre exists in different forms and styles all over the globe and appeals to youngsters for equally different reasons. “Bally Sagoo and Punjabi MC remain my eternal favourites. I like not just the compositions rendered by them but the fact that their music truly symbolises effortless fusion of Bhangra music with Western styles," says Ramanpreet Bawa, arts student, government college, while adding how, “Mirza by Punjabi MC is always on repeat mode in his playlist." The fact that no wedding is complete without them, is a given. The fact that most DJs complain of being forced to play only Bhangra music is also a given! Opines Harry Sidhu, B.Com student, “If not hardcore lyrics then at least, dhol and balle balle are common parlance.”