“The number of hits, likes and shares you get on.... social media, decides the fate of artists today.”
Punjabi music in Canada is steadily growing as Punjabi artists tour the country.
One of the country’s touring artists says it is Punjabi folk music that has found popularity. UK Bhangra star Jaz Dhami is grateful for what the PM of Canada has done for Punjabi music. He told the DailyMail:
“It’s great what Trudeau has done. He is promoting Indian culture and Punjabi music, by extension, which has a great following. This is one leader who understands the importance of Punjabi music in his country’s music space.”
Singer Dilbagh Singh mentions that he changes his style of music when performing shows in Canada. He says:
“My line-up is completely different when I perform in India and when I perform abroad. I can do a two to three hour non-stop performance filled with some Bollywood songs in India, but when I go abroad for shows, I have to prepare old folk songs.”
The rapper Raftaar says that the reason for the fast growing popularity of Punjabi music in Canada is down to the high population of Punjabi people in Canada. He says:
“Most Punjabis go to Canada anyway, and in the last two or three years, there has been an increase in Punjabi population in Canada.
“Which is also evident in the number of Punjabi people Prime Minister Justine Trudeau has in his cabinet.”
The artists mark the importance social media has on the Punjabi music industry in Canada.
Dhami mentions that: “The number of hits, likes and shares you get on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram or other platforms of social media, decides the fate of artists today.”
The songs uploaded at the click of a button can be heard from all over the world. This means that people in Canada have an easy access to popular Punjabi songs. These songs may not always be ones common in India.
With more and more UK Bhangra artists going abroad and touring, it’s evident that this is one way they are making an income from their music. Since music sales as a whole are nothing like what they were in the pre-Internet days due to illegal downloads and piracy. Dhami says:
“The market has increased by at least by 60 per cent in the last couple of years, and most Punjabi artists are now doing triple the number of shows abroad.”
With Punjabi music having its roots from the Punjab and evolving into Bhangra music in the UK and then spreading to countries like USA and Australia. It’s great to see it now developing a huge following in Canada, and in this instance with great support from the PM, himself. We now wonder if, UK’s PM, Theresa May, likes to dance to a Bhangra track or two?
