Music is integral to the fabric of a community, promoting cultural expression, social cohesion, emotional well-being, economic growth, and educational enrichment.
Southall boasts a remarkable musical legacy, particularly within its South Asian community. The town thrives with a dynamic music scene that showcases a multitude of gifted artists spanning diverse genres such as Punjabi, Bollywood, and British Asian fusion music.
The town has presented to the world, talents like Channi Singh, OBE, the godfather of Bhangra in the west, his daugher, singer Mona Singh, Kuljit Bhamra, MBE, Hartinder Dhami, Jagwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Jay Sean and Ash King among others.
“The Southall community always supported us from the very start”- Channi Singh
Channi Singh who became the first Punjabi music artist to be appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to Bhangra music, charity and community work moved to Southall from Punjab in 1976.
Mr Singh recalls noticing the fewer links the Asian community, particularly the youngsters, had with their cultural heritage, and using his passion for music to promote the Punjabi culture. He formed his own Bhangra band, Alaap, in 1977.
The band became responsible for changing the entire face of Punjabi music across the world and achieved much to be proud of. We created history by breaking barriers and opening doors for Bhangra music in the Western world and receiving countless awards for extraordinary achievements and invaluable service and contribution to the Asian music industry.”
Mr Singh takes pride in being the first British Asian music artist to compose and direct music for big banner Bollywood films including Feroz Khan’s ‘Yalgaar‘ and ‘Janasheen’ and K.C. Bokadia’s ‘Shaktiman’, and credits the Southall community for their unwavering support.
“It was all possible due to where it all started for me and my band over 45 years ago. In Southall. The community always supported us from the very start and that support is what led to our global success and us being credited as Pioneers of modern Bhangra music.”
“I am a Southall boy through and through” -Kuljit Bhamra
Kuljit Bhamra, MBE, composer, record producer and musician has been living in the town since 1968 and calls himself a “Southall-boy through and through.”
He has had a strong connection to music since his childhood. “My mother had studied Giani (proficiency in Gurmukhi) and was called upon regularly to sing hymns and recite verses from the Sikh holy book in Southall gurdwaras”, he said.
“In 1969, Tarsem Purewal, editor of the Southall-based Punjabi newspaper Des Pardes asked my mother to conduct his wedding and then sing a few songs afterwards at a reception party. I was 10 years old and accompanied her on the tabla.”
As a self- taught musician, Kuljit would frequent the Bina Musicals located on The Green to buy his instruments, along with three main records stores in Southall: ABC Music on The Broadway, Indian Record House on South Road and Virdee Stores on The Green.
“I spent hours reading the credits on the record sleeves in the racks. In 1976, I appeared on an album by Birmingham-based singer A S Kang and two years later, we produced my mother’s first album. From then on, the shopkeepers warmed to me a bit”, he explains.
“In 1983, when I produced Southall-based bands Premi and Heera, people began to show their appreciation for my music. Sina Radio, now Sunrise Radio had been set up by Avtar Lit, and my songs were played back-to-back, twenty-four hours a day. It was thrilling to hear my music being blasted out of car stereos and grocery shops”, he further added.
Kuljit, who has been involved in ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ had his first experience of theatre was in 2002 as on-stage percussionist in Andrew Lloyd-Webbers Bombay Dreams. Later in 2015, he co-orchestrated for the musical version of ‘Bend It Like Beckham’. “I was elated to see Southall recreated on stage in the west end. Some of the issues that we challenged as a community then are probably no longer relevant in today’s time.”
Speaking of the evolution South Asian music has seen in Britain, Kujit shares- “My British upbringing in a family with strong Punjabi traditions has allowed me to have an objective view of how music is created and perceived by various cultures around the world.“
“The idea of ‘if someone plays an Indian instrument, they must only play Indian music’ is absurd to me. Our culture has beautiful-sounding instruments that should be used in all types of music on all stages around the world by people of all cultures, but many of us are scared that our culture will disappear as a result.“
“Our music will grow further and become more popular when we allow others to play our instruments”, he further adds.
