2017

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The Magic of Music – The Brit Asia World Music Awards 2017 (By Anisha Kaur Johal)

 

The highly anticipated Brit Asia World Music Awards (BAWMA) returned with a blast.  The event took place at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, showcasing the musical diversity present within the Asian community, not only in the UK but worldwide.   With many artists attending, performing and supporting the star-studded night, hosted by Sukhi Bart and Mandy Takhar, it was an event not to be missed.

The energetic, electric, empowering vibes emitted along with the variety of acts, added to the vibrancy.  From Bhangra to Bollywood to Rap, the event showcased the very best talent present in the worldwide Asian scene.  With performances by highly renowned stars in the industry such as Babbal Rai, Curtis Young, Dr Zeus, Jasmin Walia, Jassi Gill, JK, Rameet Sandhu, Rupali, Zack Knight and many more.  The event really did celebrate the talent prevalent in the industry.

Stars on the night included: AJD, Balbir Bhujhangy, Balwinder Safri, Curtis Young, The Ultimate Bhangraholic Dipps Bhamrah, Manni Sandhu, Rameet Sandhu, Ricky Norwood, Seetal Kaur, Tubsy Bhangra All Stars

It was great to see inspirational female acts, such as Rameet Sandhu, performing in the heavily male dominated industry.  Sandhu performed alongside Curtis Young, the son of Dr Dre, demonstrating how different genres can be fused together in order to produce an excellent collaboration.  It was the first time that they had performed their single live and it was filled with an immense amount of energy.

Rameet Sandhu at the BAWMA 2017 Nominations Party

JK also brought a surge of energy onto the stage, surprising the audience with a brand new track from his upcoming album.  It was great to see him taking Bhangra back to its Panjabi roots, keeping the old school Bhangra vibes well and truly alive.

JK with P2K at the BAWMA 2017 Nominations Party

Not only did the awards highlight the artists in the industry, it also celebrated the music producers, Bhangra teams, live bands, albums, music videos, song writers and DJs.  It was positive to see the event supporting, nurturing and giving a platform to Bhangra teams to showcase their talent such as Punjab Bhangra Crew (PBC) – a group of passionate, dedicated and motivated Bhangra dancers from Derby who promote the importance of traditional Bhangra dancing through their weekly classes.

Members of PBC performed on the night alongside JK – Navjot Singh, Harjit Rayat, Jagtar Singh, Balli Chohan & DS Rai

The event also included renowned individuals presenting awards such as Dipps Bhamrah (BBC Asian Network), Gurinder Chadda (first female British-Asian film director), Nina Wadia (former Goodness Gracious Me  and East Enders actress) and Ricky Norwood (East Enders‘ Fat Boy) to name a few.  This shows how many people in the industry came together to celebrate the success.

What added to the uniqueness of the event was the fact that it wasn’t inclusive to a certain type of music or age range.  It was good to see some old school Bhangra singers on the night supporting the event such as Alaap’s Channi Singh, Balbir Bhujhangy and Balwinder Safri.

Balbir Bhujhangy

Make sure to follow Punjab 2000 for photographs, interviews and videos from the night and coverage from other events.

By Anisha Kaur Johal