When the 2025 Juno Award nominations had been introduced final month, there was a transparent theme: South Asian music and artists are rising up throughout Canada, and notably in B.C.
AP Dhillon, who lives on Vancouver Island, in addition to Karan Aujla, Jazzy B, Chani Nattan and Inderpal Moga, all 4 of whom are linked to Surrey, B.C., are up for South Asian Music Recording of the 12 months.
It is Surrey that is notably notable in terms of the style.
Rolling Stone journal in 2023 referred to as the rise of South Asian music in Canada the “Punjabi Wave,” and famous what number of of these well-liked artists hail from B.C. — mentioning Aujla’s Surrey connections particularly.
Juno Awards president Allan Reid has described Surrey because the “epicentre” of South Asian music, on a worldwide scale.
Why Surrey?
For the previous a number of years, 5X Fest, celebrating South Asian music and artwork, has been held all through Metro Vancouver. Government director Harpo Mander stated that is largely as a consequence of immigration.
“A number of worldwide college students coming from the Punjab area of India selected this as a vacation spot or obtained admission in colleges right here,” she stated. “A number of them had been again in India writing, performing.”
She stated there are individuals who aren’t essentially primarily based in Surrey, however go there to make music with artists in the neighborhood.
“Now a whole lot of these persons are making a worldwide impression as a result of they had been actually proficient they usually form of got here along with different proficient individuals.”
Surrey songwriter Chani Nattan and vocalist Inderpal Moga share the moments main as much as their first Juno nomination. Each artists can be acting on March 15 for the Junos Plaza Get together and on the Juno Awards on March 30 at Rogers Enviornment in Vancouver.
In line with Statistics Canada, in 2021 there have been about 212,000 individuals of South Asian descent dwelling in Surrey — virtually 38 per cent of the town’s inhabitants.
Harj Nagra, who has been making Punjabi music for about 12 years, stated having a big South Asian inhabitants has definitely been useful for native artists, however added that social media has helped unfold the phrase about the style worldwide.
“I believe like [previously], I might say there was completely different demographics of people who had been listening, so not a lot of the youthful crowd,” he stated. “Increasingly more persons are extra concerned in Punjabi music they usually’re listening to it. They’re going to see somebody submit a video reel [on Instagram] they usually wanna take heed to it, they wanna make a TikTok.”
Surrey-based songwriter Chani Nattan, who’s nominated for a Juno Award for COOLIN, stated Surrey is engrained in who he’s, partly due to the satisfaction locals absorb him and different Surrey artists.
“Surrey is just like the spine of my life,” he stated. “I’ve seen a whole lot of artists come up from their hometowns, they do not obtain as a lot love. Being a part of this neighborhood from right here, I really feel like they’ve actually embraced me.”
B.C.’s rising South Asian music scene takes the highlight at this yr’s Juno Awards, with quite a few artists from Surrey and the Fraser Valley getting nominated. As Sohrab Sandhu studies, the town is quick rising as a serious hub for the South Asian music business.
Rising up, Nattan thought he’d should relocate to the U.Ok. to get the assist he wanted to have a profession in music, however an increasing number of producers, photographers, videographers and studios have popped up in Surrey, making it simple to seek out individuals to collaborate with.
“Now I really feel like that entire hub is in Canada and a whole lot of it’s in Surrey.”
Mander hopes it stays that approach. She’s impressed by the way in which Latin music, a regional style, turned mainstream, and stayed there.
“It is very regular to hear to love a Latin track or a Latin artist on the radio,” she stated.
“I believe that is what we’re hoping for, is that Punjabi music isn’t just a second in time, however one thing that sticks round for a really very long time from right here on.”
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