History is set to be made for Punjabi music in Canada this week.
Global superstar Diljit Dosanjh is leading the charge, kicking off his Canada-wide tour this Saturday, with a monumental performance at BC Place. Dosanjh’s show is set to draw over 50,000 fans, making it the biggest Punjabi concert outside of India.
Following closely behind Dosanjh, is Canada’s very own Karan Aujla. As the first Punjabi Juno-Award winner, he is poised to sell out Rogers Centre and BC Place this summer. As these two powerhouses take centre stage, the meteoric rise of Punjabi music in the mainstream is growing at an unprecedented pace.
However, this cultural shift didn’t just happen overnight. Generations of artists have inspired the way for this new wave of Punjabi music, mixed with pop, hip-hop, and R&B.
OMNI Television’s special program, “Melas to Mainstream: Punjabi Music’s Boom in Canada,” takes a deeper dive into how this genre is rooted in tradition and captivates the masses.
Artists like Jazzy B, a Canadian-Punjabi singer-songwriter of over 30 years, is an example of an artist who went from performing in front of a couple hundred fans at local melas to thousands at concert venues and major league sports half-time shows.
“Punjabi music’s got that beat! It doesn’t matter if you understand what the person is singing,” Jazzy B told OMNI News.
Making waves across North America, last summer Diljit Dosanjh became the first artist to perform in Punjabi at the Coachella Music Festival, and this year, AP Dhillon, achieved the same. This substantial growth of Punjabi music owes much to Canadian artists like Dosanjh, Aujla, and AP Dhillon, boasting over 2 billion streams worldwide.
Major labels are also recognizing this growth. Last year, Warner Music Canada launched 91 North Records, a new label dedicated to investing in South Asian artists in Toronto.
Canadian-Punjabi music producer Gminxr has been at the forefront of this new wave of Punjabi music.
“When the world really hears it and accepts it, we’re going to tap into the international market. I think the whole world is going to look at Punjabi music differently,” Gminxr said.
From only being able to enjoy Punjabi music within our homes or at local, intimate events, to now seeing Punjabi artists top international streaming charts and selling out Canada’s largest stadiums – Punjabi music has successfully cemented its space in the mainstream.
OMNI Television’s special premieres today at 6:30 p.m. in Punjabi and 11 p.m. in English on OMNI2.
Future airdates are as follows:
Punjabi:
Friday April 26th, 6:30pm
Sunday April 28th , 7:30pm
Monday April 29th, 11:00pm
Wednesday May 1st, 11:00pm
Sunday May 5th, 7:30pm
Thursday May 9th, 11:00pm
Tuesday July 9th, 6:30pm
Friday July 12th, 6:30pm
Sunday July 14th, 7:30pm
English:
Tuesday April 30th, 6:30pm
Tuesday May 7th, 11:00pm
Sunday May 12th, 7:30pm
Monday July 8th, 6:30pm
Saturday July 13th, 6:30pm