debut: 2/16/17
35,163 runs
‘Punjabi Wave’ Music Hits Canada's Juno Awards Stage
For many watching the Juno Awards on Sunday, the first few lines of Karan Aujla’s upbeat love ballad were probably their first introduction to Punjabi music. But Mr. Aujla’s energetic performance at the show in Halifax, a marquee event in the Canadian music industry, inspired even the timid sections of the crowd — for whom the sound and lyrics were something entirely new — to boisterous enthusiasm, said Baldeep Randhawa, a talent buyer and promoter at the entertainment company Live Nation. “He won everybody over by the end,” Mr. Randhawa, who was in the Junos audience, told me. “The cheers after his set were one of the loudest of the night.”
Mr. Aujla, 27, immigrated to Canada 10 years ago to live with his sisters after his parents had died, and he worked odd jobs before committing to a career in music. His music has bubbled to the top of what some industry watchers are calling the “Punjabi wave,” a cohort of artists who are blending South Asian sounds with influences from rap and hip-hop, and collaborating with Western stars to reach new audiences. On Sunday, he became the first Punjabi artist to win at the Junos, taking home the Fan Choice Award.Canada has played a big role in my career. Combining the Canadian and Punjabi sounds together, it creates this different genre that we didn’t know we would end up with. My last album, “Making Memories,” combines American, Canadian and all these other sounds with folk Punjabi music.
The moment is part of a “ripple effect” of South Asian artists who are breaking through in Western markets, said Neesha Hothi, marketing director of the Juno host committee in Vancouver, where the awards show, adjudicated by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, will be held next year. She pointed to two other milestones last year involving Punjabi artists: AP Dhillon became the first to perform at the Junos, and Diljit Dosanjh was the first to take the stage at the Coachella festival.
NY Times
Karan Aujla feat. Ikky performs 'Admirin You' & 'Softly | Juno Awards 2024
For many watching the Juno Awards on Sunday, the first few lines of Karan Aujla’s upbeat love ballad were probably their first introduction to Punjabi music. But Mr. Aujla’s energetic performance at the show in Halifax, a marquee event in the Canadian music industry, inspired even the timid sections of the crowd — for whom the sound and lyrics were something entirely new — to boisterous enthusiasm, said Baldeep Randhawa, a talent buyer and promoter at the entertainment company Live Nation. “He won everybody over by the end,” Mr. Randhawa, who was in the Junos audience, told me. “The cheers after his set were one of the loudest of the night.”
Mr. Aujla, 27, immigrated to Canada 10 years ago to live with his sisters after his parents had died, and he worked odd jobs before committing to a career in music. His music has bubbled to the top of what some industry watchers are calling the “Punjabi wave,” a cohort of artists who are blending South Asian sounds with influences from rap and hip-hop, and collaborating with Western stars to reach new audiences. On Sunday, he became the first Punjabi artist to win at the Junos, taking home the Fan Choice Award.Canada has played a big role in my career. Combining the Canadian and Punjabi sounds together, it creates this different genre that we didn’t know we would end up with. My last album, “Making Memories,” combines American, Canadian and all these other sounds with folk Punjabi music.
The moment is part of a “ripple effect” of South Asian artists who are breaking through in Western markets, said Neesha Hothi, marketing director of the Juno host committee in Vancouver, where the awards show, adjudicated by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, will be held next year. She pointed to two other milestones last year involving Punjabi artists: AP Dhillon became the first to perform at the Junos, and Diljit Dosanjh was the first to take the stage at the Coachella festival.
NY Times
Karan Aujla feat. Ikky performs 'Admirin You' & 'Softly | Juno Awards 2024
- edited -
