British Bhangra: A Symposium
15 September 2007 10am – 6pm, S.O.A.S., University of London
British Bhangra is a genre of popular music that fuses Punjabi beats, music and lyrics, UK pop, RnB, reggae and other world sounds. Its history in Britain dates back to the immediate post-war period when migrants from the Punjab, India, resettled their lives and homes in the UK.
In the post-00s the music can now be heard across the soundscapes of multicultural cities around the globe, to mainstream fashion and advertising, and even in the songs and music of Bollywood films. British Bhangra’s centres of music industry are increasingly located in Birmingham and London, from where its musical products are distributed and performed internationally. Yet, this recent visibility is also marked by a history of cultural racism, community politics and a music and cultural industry that has struggled to stake its place in British popular culture.
This one day symposium brings together leading international practitioners, aristes and academics who have been involved in producing and charting the story of British Bhangra music and its industry. The event will include panel presentations with Q&A as well as a roundtable discussion with all participants.
Read my review of the Soho Road to the Punjab exhibition.
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