The South Asian Renaissance in the Music Industry
I’ve been a fangirl my entire life. From 5 years old to 15 to now 20, my excitement has never diminished. Being passionate about something is a core part of my identity. I’ve been an avid music listener for a while as I have attended concerts since 2019 and was a K-pop fan for about three years. I’ve seen a variety of artists that have produced music for different audiences
but it wasn’t until recently that I discovered Western South Asian musicians. As a Pakistani American kid, I wasn’t surrounded by Desi music unless it was really old Bollywood songs that I would be forced to clap at for Mehndis (pre-wedding ceremonies) or it was really old Bollywood songs my sister would burn on CDs for my mom. There were one or two Desi Western fusion songs on the IPod that we shared but there was no consistent debut of Brown artists in the 2000s like there is now.
During the pandemic was when I first discovered various music genres. Quarantined in my room and unable to see my friends, I was forced to try new activities. One of those activities was scrolling through Spotify trying to find anything new to listen to. I was introduced to a song called “Gluttony” by Shreea Kaul. Shreea presents her listeners with an enchanting R&B track combined with a trance of desi fusion. This song had me absolutely hooked to her discography, and I instantly became a fan. When “Ladke” came out with REHMA, I was so excited because it was two female artists, Indian American and Pakistani American, joining together to make a bad bitch anthem for brown girls that had never been done before. I remember being so excited and sending it to all of my friends and they eventually became obsessed with it too. Her discography has been growing to this day and has recently gained a lot of attention with her track “Tere Bina” which eventually turned into a popular dance trend on TikTok. I was really proud to see that she was finally getting the recognition that she deserves after listening to her for the past few years. Shreea is empowering Desi women who through her music is reminding us that we have many stories to tell.
In her breakdown of “Ladke” with PopShift, she mentions that “brown women have a lot of pressure on them to have it all together from a young age versus men who are able to get away with so much”. REHMA also discusses how men are praised for talking about sex but women are shamed for it. Another thing I love from the song and interview is the mention of ego in Brown men but that’s another story for another day. Shreea’s discography is an introduction to her listeners on what it’s like to be a Brown girl in the West. I finally feel like someone can speak for me and the women in my life creatively through music but it doesn’t stop here.
I attended my first music festival, Head in the Clouds NY by 88rising last summer. The weather on the first day of the festival was absolutely awful and I was starting to lose all my excitement for even being there because it wouldn’t stop raining and I couldn’t stop shivering. To my surprise, HITC brought out a few South Asian artists and one of them was Paravi. I had never listened to Paravi’s music before so I was looking forward to hearing new music live. My friend and I ran to her set and ended up behind barricade. I saw this bright and enthusiastic brown girl with a broken foot putting her all into this performance. It was Paravi’s first time performing at a
music festival and she brought her parents to witness it with her. I was further shocked to find out that the really cool guitarist was her brother who’s also a musician, Sayak Das, so her whole family was there. The energy of her performance was like nothing I’ve felt before. Here was a brown girl performing deep and personal songs about her life that I could relate to, singing about the confidence you need to be yourself unapologetically, and the appreciation she has for her immigrant parents. Paravi being the first performance I witnessed at HITC made the festival worth it. It was the same feeling I felt while listening to Shreea’s music, where I just felt connected to her and was glad that I got to hear another brown girl’s story.
Shortly after HITC, I got to see Weston Estate live. Ya aunty’s favorite boyband as they say. Weston Estate is well known due to opening for Keshi on his tour and being featured on the Never Have I Ever soundtrack. They have that bedroom pop vibe to their music that I don’t really see other brown musicians take lead on but they do it really well. Their sound is unique and it brings different music enthusiasts to their shows. Another big deal that a lot of people aren’t aware of is that they were college students while they were releasing music. I’ve noticed that they typically perform at colleges and most of the time for AAPI community events. Another way that South Asian artists make people in their community feel seen is by showing up. By gathering people into one space where they can listen to music and be surrounded by those that resemble themselves can foster a different kind of cultural understanding. I think a lot of people, especially representatives of the AAPI community, unfortunately don’t see South Asians as Asians. For brown kids, I feel like we finally get to be celebrated when we have artists like Weston Estate show up to our college. I also feel like it’s a rite of passage as a brown kid to see Weston Estate in concert but that’s just me.
As a South Asian kid growing up, my representation was very limited. Especially in the music industry, we only really had Jay Sean and MIA. As a Pakistani American, I didn’t know any musician I could point at and say they’re just like me. Now I have that with REHMA. Now that times have changed I get to see amazing people creating projects and releasing music that is reflective of their identities. They’re telling these beautiful stories and doing things that I’ve never seen my people do in the West before.
I came across a TikTok once where a creator discussed how different groups of people of color tend to be found in the “spotlight” when parts of their culture are suddenly considered cool by white people. With the rise of popularity of KPOP and Anime, the attraction to East Asian culture has risen immensely, and some are anticipating when brown people can shine in the spotlight. I believe that we don’t need validation from white people to feel worthy of the spotlight. Instead, we need to support independent creatives within our own communities, and we need to uplift one another.
We as South Asians are never seen as people deserving of being the main character or an ethnicity “worth dating”. When I see the internet reacting overwhelmingly to these artists’ viral
videos, it feels like I can finally be considered as someone worthy of the spotlight in a way that these artists have redefined it. Unlike the portrayals of brown people that are often seen in the media, these artists have rewritten an uplifting narrative for themselves and any future aspiring brown musicians. It’s because of them that brown kids like me get to feel like we don’t have to stick to the status quo of our community. It makes us feel like if we ever wanna pursue something different from the standards that have been put on us in the brown community, someone will listen to our stories. We don’t have to be confined to the image our parents have of us, the media, and the model minority myth. The influences of South Asian musicians go beyond the music industry because they challenge the status quo set in stone by our communities and the stereotypes pushed by society.
Musicians, especially smaller musicians, are more likely to interact with their following and build a community amongst them. They tend to be more active on their platforms and are more grounded, so they become figures for their fans. South Asian musicians build their platforms with the support they receive and foster nurturing communities for their fans to be uplifted even at their concerts. They are people that address issues based on their roots and purpose. When you grow up in the US, you grow up with two cultures in which two priorities clash with each other: individualism and community. I have seen these people create environments with a balance of both: that blend where they aren’t afraid to be themselves and do what they want but also uplift one another while making sure other people feel supported.
Shreea Kaul and Rehma (Ladke Music Video): https://youtu.be/AxyHUhNTkjY?si=88vGnAmrp6VwPd8B
Being Desi American is a whole experience in and of its own but with these insanely talented people pursuing music, I see up-and-coming South Asian artists as people redefining pop culture in ways that I’ve never seen before. They hold their culture close to their hearts while expressing themselves with their musical talents. For me, it’s a sense of strength and passion that I’ve never seen in any musician before. They’re not following what little bits of representation have come before them but building their own pathway to success.
These artists are the core part of what I like to call the South Asian Renaissance. We are slowly working our way towards having more representation in media and entertainment as well as having more of our stories be told. I’ve personally been inspired by this movement as it has motivated me to join organizations that actively support people of color, especially Desi Americans, in pursuing their passions.
I get to see people like Rajid Selim make DostMeansFriend and highlight different artists among the diaspora currently by interviewing them and making intro videos for their future listeners. I get to attend events focused on South Asian culture for the brown community by BrownGirlMag. I get to listen to artists producing and writing their own music based on the immigrant child experience, like Curtis Waters and Paravi. I get to brag about knowing REHMA before Coke Studio and how she has been a big inspiration to me demonstrating that brown women can accomplish their biggest dreams.
I recently attended the Priya Ragu concert in Brooklyn and was waiting for an Uber outside after it ended. I overheard a conversation between this group of friends that had just met. They were discussing the concert and I heard one person excitedly say that it was a surreal experience for them as a Brown person seeing a Sri Lankan-Tamil artist perform songs to a diverse audience on stage in New York. They were really excited to tell their mom all about their experience and the fact that they chanted “Govinda” at a concert in the West. I remember them explaining how the show was such an out of body experience because we grew up assimilating to American culture and our parents immigrated to the West for us to end up hiding parts of who we are. Artists like Priya Ragu have the ability to bring South Asians together in one room and remind people of who they are.
It made me think that our culture is being redefined by South Asian musicians. We don’t have to be ashamed to celebrate our heritage in front of others that aren’t from our own backgrounds. I never really thought it was something that people could experience themselves. Seeing someone that looks like me, that has been through similar experiences as me, gets to sing on stage and have an audience go crazy for them, and you know damn well I’ll be front row!
To all of the South Asian musicians out there, you are setting new standards and changing things for our community that have never been seen before. I hope you continue and know that it means a lot.