Bomb the tumbi…..caress that dhol, fire up the synths, pull down the bass, Pump up the Bhangra…
The above seems as if they are some stray remarks from a Def Leppard concert. But anyone growing up in the UK of the 70s & 80s would definitely identify with them. Bands like The Bhujhangys, Alaap Group led by the charismatic Channi Singh, Golden Star of Malkit Singh, Apna Sangeet fronted by Kulwant Bhamra and Sardara Gill, The Premi Group, XLNC, Shaktee, The Safri Boys and so on, were so popular that event or wedding dates had to be fixed as per their availability.
“The average Indian after a tough week at work and starved of anything Punjabi were fed this diet of foot-tapping music laced with lyrics, that would remind them of the land of the five rivers. These bands were the average Punjabi’s escape route”, remarks Gurwant Singh who lives in Leicester (UK) since the 70s. On the other hand the 80s saw the standard of the music being produced in Punjab going down at an alarmingly fast pace and was mainly targeted at the rural audience or truck drivers. The NRIs were facing a challenge of a different kind as their offspring patronized the disco beat much to the chagrin of their parents. The marriage between the omnipresent ‘dhol’ and the ‘octapad’ was about to happen and it was only a matter of time. The centuries-old harmonium got the back seat and in its place came the electro-beats of the synthesizer.
All this brought in another challenge and that was the non-availability of musicians. The result was that one could spot the surname of Patel, Daniel or a Sankadecha in a bhangra band. “In ApnaSangeet, we used to have a seventh member who was ‘white’ & his name was John Adam and he used to play the guitar for us”, fondly remembers Gill. The foundation of this ‘new revolution’ was laid by none else than the iconic Bhujhangy group that was based out of a small town near Birmingham.
Actually, most of the mega bhangra stars coming out of the UK credit their initial breaks to this band, also called as the ‘Godfathers of Bhangra’. BalbirBhujhangy received an award from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom for Punjabi cultural and Bhangra music in 2009 and a Life Time Achievement award from Brit Asia TV in London 2011. His name appears in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the pioneer of Bhangra music in the UK since 1967 and has released over 50 albums till date.
A young lad named Channi, from Salar village in Punjab moved to the UK in the late 70s and was aghast to see the high level of cultural disconnect amongst the youth.
He formed the band ‘Alaap’, in 1979, then teamed up with producer Deepak Khazanchi and released their debut album ‘Teri Chunni De Sitare’ which became a runaway hit. The ‘New Kids on The Block’ had arrived and everyone welcomed them with open arms. Channi’s soulful voice had made a mark and in a few years, he would team up with Asha Bhonsale for a joint album and also create music for the Feroz Khan film ’Yalgaar’.
Meanwhile, Southall saw birth of the Heera Group in the same year which was led by Dhami and Kumar and they would go on to belt such classics as ‘Melna De Naal Aayi Mitro’, ‘Maar Chaddapa’, ‘SasKutni’, ‘Munda Patt Leya’ and many more. In the early 80s, it was not a big deal if some of the Bhangra acts would sell more than a few thousand copies of their records in just one week and that too without any supporting videos. Another big name that needs special mention is the team of Kulwant Bhamra and Sardara Gill who became the cynosure of all eyes by starting the band ‘Apna Sangeet’. Their vocal proficiency, feet tapping beats, sequined shirts and flashy turban bands made them a household name. Their superhit ‘Soho Road Utte’ is an anthem even till now. Malkit Singh of ‘Tootak Tootak’ fame also has his origins from UK with his iconic band Golden Star.
He became the first Punjabi singer honoured with Member of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). The accolade was presented to him by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
The UK Bhangra scene in the 1980’s featured many other bands including DCS, Achanak, XLNC, Johnny Zee, Mangal, Premi Group, Pardesi Music Machine, The Safri Boys, New Stars, Azaad Group, Awaaz Group, Bally Sagoo, A S Kang and many more. The contribution of these great acts from the UK had a lasting influence on Punjabi music which is evident even to this day.
We salute them and all we can say is ‘Bhangratulations’.