[Reader-list] is bhangra taking over?

[staun]

Dear list,
it's hard to tell if it's the breakthrough of a genre or just another
one-hit-wonder: Panjabi MC's bhangra-pop song "Mundian to bach ke" that
stormed the german charts end of last year and will now be re-released
in Britain. Anyway, the attempt to cross the border between two musical
parallel universes within the U.K., between the world of High Street
megastores and Indipop cornershops is remarkable.

I cannot deny that, as a cultural critic without any greater insight nor
preference for that kind of music, I am as much interested in the
question where that sound comes from as in the question when it will go
away again. Any hints to interesting material about the U.K. bhangra
scene, its perception in India, its significance as culture or economy
would be very welcome.

"The empire strikes back" was Pico Iyer's thesis on the gaining
relevance of post-colonial or second generation immigrants on british
literature. Will Panjabi MC be the Salman Rushdie of pop?

Best,
Harald Staun