As with most cultures, the people, food, clothing and music is the makeup of it. London is the house of the most diverse communities, placed in different pockets and areas. Subcultures are born and influence a new generation who have become proud to wear their heritage on their sleeves. 2023 is a time where more ethnic heritages are being seen, acknowledged and heard. Make no mistake, there is a long way to go but to realise any movement is better than none.
One of the biggest shifts seen amongst the wide breadth of cultures are from South Asians.
TAKING A STEP INTO SOME FACTS
To give a little clarity on the term, South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. The main (but not all) countries consist of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and the ethnic groups include Sindhi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, and many others.
South Asians make up 4.9% of the UK’s 67 million (as of 2022). This is broken down to:
- Indians 1.45 million (2.3%)
- Pakistanis 1.17 million (1.9%)
- Bangladeshis 451,500 (0.7%) ¹to give a few statistics.
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¹ Minority Rights Group International, September 2022
THE SHIFT There is no surprise that with this incredible mix of cultures, they have become a part of Britain’s culture. It is very telling that for the past 22 years the ‘Chicken Tikka Masala’ has been named the ‘National Dish England’ which takes on a large cultural significance. The 2022 CommonWealth Games was hosted in Birmingham, a place with the largest population of South Asians based in the North of the UK. The closing game ceremony had an impressionable amount of British Asian references from the bhangra dancers to the legendary Punjabi MC live performances that erupted the crowds. There has also been a huge impact within pop culture and entertainment. Taking moments from Mindy Kaling’s brilliant ‘Never Have I Ever’ series highlighting the relatable Indian girls’ childhood to Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina, first to compete in hijab at this year’s Women’s World Cup. Within the past few years we have seen more South Asian creatives rise, such as photographer Noor Unisa, fashion consultant Arooj Aftab, the filmmaker and director Basma Khalifa, the emerging modestwear brand Daska. Acknowledged from their talent but naturally their platforms showcase skills, life and opinions that all impact how they are treated, seen and give insights to the respected areas. Particularly in this ever evolving world where culture, religion and Western living all tread a fine balance with one another. |
PUNJABI, BHANGRA AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
The Boiler Room started as anything great does, from passion, low-fi quality and a tight budget but this opened up a keyhole into London’s underground. It was webcam content in an era where Instagram, MySpace and Tumblr weren’t a thought. Since 2010, it has reached over 8000 performances by more than 5000 artists across 200 cities. Today it remains true to its history, supporting emerging artists. The Boiler Room connects local dance floors to the wider world.
Boiler Room Southall 16th August 2023 was one for the history books.
For any South Asian in or around London, Southall is either the place you went for the best homemade treats, wedding shopping and to get a little taste of your home culture. The food, music, smells and the pure nature of the high street transported you.
Southall and the Hounslow area was also the backdrop for the ICONIC film: Bend It Like Beckham (2002) which brought every Asian family’s story to the big screen. It was authentic, original and the first of its kind.
It only makes sense this was the home for the first South Asian Boiler Room, headlined by the British Punjabi music star Raf Saperra along with the iconic Punjabi Hit Squad. This monumental moment for British Asian’s that went viral in mid August reaching 509.6M views and #boilerroomsouthall reaching 113.6K views on TikTok. The set was pure vibes, high energy and filled with a countless amount of artists and remixes. It was a room full of so many different people who adore and live for the culture that spanned beyond the cult followers of the music but reached global levels through TikTok. Where will the next Boiler Room be and what genre or culture is it going to spread to next?
THE RISE OF JOYTY.
In an era where remixes are left right and centre and the nostalgic soundtracks such as Raghav, Jay Sean and Juddy D ‘Soniye’ along with the legendary Jay Z and Punjabi MC collaboration. ‘The classic’ songs are resurfacing on Instagram reels and the Punjabi, Asian, Desi and Arab music are taking up a big corner of the internet – artists such as Saint Levant and Asala Dabke to name a few.
A noteworthy name is Joyty Singh.
Now a DJ, radio host, and influencer, Jyoty grew up in the west side of Amsterdam. The daughter of Punjabi Indian parents that started DJing in her home. Her viral moment happened in 2019, where someone shared a clip from her Boiler Room set on TikTok that racked up 5 million plays off the back of one DJ set on Youtube.
Joyty is the perfect cocktail of embracing all genres, R&B, Dancehall and most importantly Punjabi music. All of which she incorporated into her sets. Since 2019, she has blown up with sold out shows in 2021, a world tour kicking off in 2023, brand deals and radio show presenting spots.
Her young fame within the music industry showcases the pride for the culture from a younger generation that has crossed over into a mass market. From her living room to performing at the infamous Jacquemus After Party in 2022. Her reach, not only in social media numbers, but her voice has impacted the brand partnerships that have approached her and the pivot that companies (of any size) are trying to make in having someone authentic represent and tell their story openly.
MAKING A MAINSTREAM MOMENT
Most South Asian childhood’s have a memory of or know the legendary bollywood film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (also known as KKKG). More so you’ll know of the songs in the film that are widely known of any South Asian from the first notes. In some households you could say this film was the theme tune to any sleepover or occasions.
The song took to Instagram recently but in a way that no one would expect – in the heart of one of London’s iconic stages, The Royal Albert Hall. Palak Muchhal, and Indian singer and lyricist, took to the stage earlier this year with her instrumental rendition of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
The moment of realisation for those who recognised the infamous song, the cameras were risen. It was a wholesome viral moment of pure joy and appreciation for two worlds colliding.
FASHION IS AN EXPRESSION AND IDENTITY
Modestwear is trendy!
There has been a massive evolution of what modestwear fashion is and means, from the early 2002’s when the longsleeves tops under dresses were the rage. There has been a massive movement in modest fashion for mass brands and the consideration and representation given to a huge untapped market. For example, Nike globally released their Pro Hijab line in 2017, H&M released an Eid collection in 2022 that sold out within a week and Gymshark had its first hijabi ambassador and campaign launch in August 2023.
Modest wear is most typically seen or worn by women and more specifically hijabi’s, however in the past 10 years the style has found its way into trend reports, on the highstreet, ASOS main collection online and on the runways of contemporary designers. The term is now seen more so on a valuegraphic level than anything else – believers, elegance, comfort and the body conscious. We’re so intrigued by the moves modestwear will make in the next year. It’s dominating the activewear space, what campaign, collaboration or ambassador is going to take this market on?
From the underground creatives that are paving the way for a new generation to the higher leadership roles and opportunities that need to happen within industries. Where is the next South Asian influence going to pop up? When will it appear as a headline act at Glastonbury or what is the next company that will step into this community – I’m waiting to see COS, Zara and Fenwicks throw their hat in the ring.