91热爆

We’ve been championing British-Asian artists for years – from under the radar movements to the chart-topping acts.

We take a step back in time and celebrate a selection of key moments from those British-Asian musicians who have either inspired the British-Asian community or influenced the music culture of Britain.

2016: The first ever launches with a range of British-Asian artists including , , and .

Ex-One Directioner releases Pillowtalk which tops the charts in more than a dozen counties, including the UK & US.

2013: releases La La La with Sam Smith which becomes the fastest selling single of that year and wins 2 MOBOs.

2009: ’s Down featuring label-mate becomes the best-selling single by a British male artist in North America since Elton John. Hounslow-based Jay moves to the States after signing up to Cash Money Records.

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2006: Actor, poet and rapper (Riz Ahmed) launches his first musical release with the politically-charged 9/11 Blues.

2005: ’s Word Is Born heralds a new era in UK Bhangra.

Hounslow-born ’s debut studio album Arular is released.

2003: Major labels sign British-Asian producers. (featuring Jay Sean and Juggy D) join Relentless/2Point9, and to Def Jam UK.

Influential magazines including The Face and Dazed And Confused chronicle the rise of a new generation of young Urban Asian music collectives.

’s Unda Da Influence is released, featuring . Lembher builds on the success of Ah Ni Kuriyeh with the -produced anthem Dasja. is one of the first UK-based Bhangra producers to successfully take the British sound back to Punjab.

2002: uses a sample of the Knight Rider theme tune and reaches number 5 in the UK charts. The original version featured on 1998 album Legalised.

91热爆 Asian Network goes national, Radio 1 and 1Xtra launch new shows Bobby Friction & Nihal Presents and Desi Beats with Panjabi Hit Squad.

2001: The centre of gravity shifts north when Leeds-based RDB release Rhythm Dhol Bass, with Glasgow-based releasing their debut The Rising the year before. RDB’s global brand building, especially in North America, would lead to later success in Bollywood.

Panjabi folk legend and 70's icon delivers a hit with Aish Karo. He'd also seen success in the mid 90’s with a number of seminal albums including Flashback and Jawani Youth.

1999: wins the Mercury Music Prize for OK, which mixes traditional tabla sounds with Drum n Bass beats. ’s Beyond Skin released on Outcaste Records.

1999: Seminal club-night Shaanti is formed in Birmingham, and ’s influential Garage-Bhangra EP The Lick releases featuring Trix MC.

Manchester-based duo would evolve to blaze a trail for Asian MC’s through the early 00’s with debut album Danger and recordings for Untouchables Records UK.

1997: ’s seminal Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground is released.

Derby-based Artist/Producer (Jyoti Prakash Mishra) reaches the No.1 spot in the UK Singles Chart with Your Woman.

pay tribute to playback singer in Brimful of Asha. The remix reaches No.1 in the charts.

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1996: , arguably the biggest Bhangra band of the 90’s, make their debut with Soundz of B21. Singer embarks on a solo career in 2003.

Wolverhampton-born Jas Mann’s reaches No.1 in the UK Singles Chart with Spaceman. The song had originaly featured in a Levi’s TV ad.

1995: Influential record label Outcaste Records formed, sign to EMI Records, and ’s 100% Proof signals the arrival of the most influential Bhangra producer of the last two decades.

1994: ’s Midas Touch is the standout Bhangra release and marks the emergence of as one of the standout Asian music producers of the last 20 years.

‘Hot ‘n’ Spicy’ launches at London’s Limelight club and is the biggest weekly Asian club night in the UK throughout the 90’s.

1993: makes his debut with Ghughian Da Jorra.

Influential Asian club night Bombay Jungle launches at The Wag Club in Soho, London. The club was the first weekly ‘Urban Asian’ club night in the UK and featured resident DJ’s Hustlers Convention, DJ Ritu, Asian DJ Culture and Maximum NRG.

's Boom Shack-A–Lak reaches number 5 in the UK charts.

1992: signs to Island Records, two years after his 1990 debut ‘Movie Over India’ had been picked up as a white-label by Reggae music distributors Jet Star.

1991:release their debut single Desert Storm which is named single of the week by NME.

’s album A Breath of Fresh Bhangra Air, produced by , influences a new generation of female British-Asian artists.

1990: Birmingham-based producer remix album Wham Bam is released (OSA). Other prominent Bhangra remixers of the time include X-Zecutive and Badd Company’s Extra Hot series (Multitone).

1989: ’s album Hit The Deck is released, heralding future success as Taz (Stereo Nation) through the 90’s.

’s Nachurally album (featuring the classic ‘Lak Noo Hila De’) establishes the Nachural Records label as a platform for a new generation of young, progressive Bhangra artists.

Key ‘scene magazines’ Ghazal & Beat and Apna Beat chart the rise of the British-Asian sound.

This era marks the rise of the Bhangra superclubs with key venues including Le Palais, Empire Ballroom and Hippodrome (London), The Dome and Hummingbird (Birmingham), MGM and Black Orchid (Nottingham), Paradise Lost (Watford), Pink Coconut (Derby), 21 Piccadilly (Manchester) and Maestro’s (Bradford).

1988: Aki Nawaz co-founds Nation Records after major labels refuse to release their fusion of world and dance music. Artists include Fun-Da-Mental, and .

1988: The ’s Pump Up The Bhangra has a huge influence on the scene, sampling M/A/R/R/S Pump Up The Volume.

1986: Massive year for Bhangra albums with , Holle Holle, and debuts with Golden Star on Nach Giddhe Vich. and define the sound of the era.

1982: reach No.12 in the UK with the single Ever So Lonely. Monsoon’s performance on Top of The Pops is a milestone for British-Asian artists.

1978: Multitone Records is formed and leads the Bhangra charge. Key artists would include , , and

1977: are created by Channi Singh, who is known as the godfather of Bhangra. Key bands throughout the late 60’s and 70’s included Bhujhangy Group, Mohinder Kaur Bhamrah, Anari Sangeet Party, A.S. Kang and The Saathies.

1970: Record store and independent label Oriental Star Agencies formed in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.