16.10.07

Ethnomusicology




Music as an expression of culture and identity. Sounds like a loud of wank, but it's why I'm so interested in music, to be frank. And there's a book looking into the genesis and evolution of British bhangra about to be published, Bhangra: Birmingham And Beyond. It turns out there's a department for Ethnomusicology at SOAS, where else?! I bumped in Bobby Friction (Radio 1) after a discussion on British bhangra and what it says about Asian youth in the UK, and it sounded fascinating.
How British bhangra began to absorb synths and Western pop, house... with groups such as Heera and Alaap, that's after bhangra bands first sprang up to recreate the traditional folk music of Panjab (celebrating harvest time).

These bands would play weddings and working mens clubs for Asian factory workers, before evolving and capturing the imagination of British asian youth at daytime bhangra gigs - that my sis would sneak out to in the late 1980s. Yes it would be the ultimate cliche, off to school in school uniform, bunk off and get changed goto the Hippodrome or Equinox and party all day before going home in school uniform as if nothing had happened.

Anyhow enough of my potted history here's the press release:


Punch presents

Bhangra:Birminghamand Beyond

Saturday 15th of Sept at the Brunei Gallery saw the private launch of Bhangra: Birmingham and Beyond, the first book of its kind looking at the British Bhangra phenomenon. Ammo Talwar from Punch Records, Dr Rajinder Dudrah, Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at the University of Manchester, along with and Boy Chana, Photographer, came up with concept of the book. Ammo explains, “The book evolved out of the images, memorabilia and stories that partly developed from the 'Soho Road to Punjab' exhibition.”

The book is an introduction to British Bhangra music, using the city of Birmingham as a starting point to map out the journey that UK Bhangra has travelled, from its folk beginnings in the Punjab, to a fusion-based music in Post-war Britain, to now in the 2000s having crossed over into the mainstream through American Hip Hop artists and others using the Bhangra beat and sounds. The book draws on interviews with artists (both men and women), lyricists and promoters of the Bhangra scene, including analysis of some of the lyrics and album covers to give a unique insight into the workings of British Bhangra music.

Author Dr Rajinder Dudrah explains how this book will appeal to a number of readers, “for one, the 'retro' audience who are now in their 30s and 40s and were the youth who were present at the live music events during the heydays of Bhangra in the 80s. Young people who are into British Asian music but might not know the history and importance of Bhangra music since the 60 and 70s. It can also be used at an academic level where GCSE, A-level and university students on media and cultural studies courses can draw on it as a resource in their studies; as well the general reader interested in aspects of British Bhangra music and its industry.”

Available through Amazon, Waterstones and Independent outlets - Nov 25th 2007

Big up to Ammo at Punch Records in Birmingham for documenting this slice of modern British and immigrant history. For anyone who thinks it doesn't matter or is irrelevant, I'll give you six words: Panjabi MC - Mundian Te Bach Ke