Whatever Session – 42 – Hark – The Essential Best of Panjabi MC by Hark1karan on Mixcloud

Originally posted here

So this one is a pretty personal session. Get ready to ready to dive into my world. Into my pre-teen and early teen years. I guess this is about growing up in England with two cultures and relating them to myself, and how musical expression changed my life. Perhaps I should give a brief background on myself. I was born in London. My family is from Punjab, a northern region of India. Punjab is predominately associated with the Sikh religion and Punjabi culture. Then there’s me growing up in South London going to a school made up of so many different cultural identities. Essentially from the day I was born I’ve been surrounded by contrasts on many levels. I kind of want to leave it at that because in a nutshell that is how life was growing up, being surrounded by multiple cultures and ways of life. You may ask what does this have to do with my mix? Well it was about me finding my own place/identity in life, at that moment of existence. 

At that young age it’s hard to understand identity and your existence in relation to the world, as you’re often stuck in your own world. However what I am grateful for is the acceptance I was nurturing at that young age. Acceptance taught me that being different is beautiful and that it can co-exist in harmony, with other differences. You learn deep down inside we all want the same in life. We just all do it differently. Growing up surrounded by so many ways of life, you learn, adapt and progress with the best of all cultures. This may sound like some idealistic utopian scenario, it isn’t. That’s because ‘most people’ resist and halt their progression because they feel changing is not necessary. Maybe they’re scared of change? Perhaps because we are constantly told to conform, and this makes us scared of the ‘other’ (those different to ‘us’). I quickly realised that one form of expression exceeded these boundaries. A form of expression that aids in our progression as humans. A form of expression that brings us together. A form of expression that creates energy for change. A form of expression that challenges our notions. A form of expression that allows for many forms. That is the sound of music. That is what would lead me to truly realise where I fit. So now the journey began to me knowing, that I had to do my own thing and respect everything around me.

Boy was I growing up in one of the world’s best cities for musical expression. London’s history with the world and migrant communities meant that it became a hub for creating new waves of expression. One of those forms of expression was the collision of Punjabi, British and Jamacian culture. As a kid I found it hard to just confine myself to one way of thinking. I liked garage, heavy metal, bhangra, hiphop and anything that resonated with my brain. I wouldn’t try to suppress it. I fondly remember my first encounters with so many genres. Each one always had that wow moment, when I thought I like this. What is this? I want more of this. Hearing Panjabi MC was ‘one of those moments’ that made me realise I could listen to anything and not have to conform to anything. Like I said it was Punjab meets Britain, meets Jamaica. I felt I related to it differently. I had a direct relationship with it and that this sound belonged to a part of me. At the time I knew that no one else was doing it the same, hence why I didn’t get into the whole scene. I knew he was a pioneer of that sound. I do remember around the age of 13 to 14 phasing slowly out of Panjabi MC. Only recently to remember the impact that it had on my life as a young boy. 

Bhangra is the music of Punjab even before the partition of Punjab into India & Pakistan. It is the music of the farmers. Punjab is known as the farm of India and probably the greenest part of India. Music was  was traditional performed and danced to around the harvest period of April. Also the time of the holy celebration called Vaisakhi (Sikh holy day). The very first memory I have of hearing any music let alone Bhangra is probably around the age of 4. I remember hearing Malkit Singh – Tutak Tutak blasting out of my uncle’s room. A classic and traditional song. This was the sound taken by Panjabi MC back in the early 90s to lead the way for British Bhangra. Back then we didn’t have the internet to spread music. It spread through community radio like Sunrise Radio (Broadcasting out of Southall), Indian music shops and weddings where the music really came to life. I didn’t have wait till I was 18 to go to a rave because I used to go Sikh wedding receptions. It was loud, packed with hundreds of guests, alcohol in free flow and crazy dancing. Everyone in the place having a good time. This is where I heard Bhangra collide with jungle, garage and hip hop on Jamaican style sound systems. Sikhs have a long tradition of integrating into societies the world over and flourishing. British bhangra was evidence of this integration and progression.

The 90s was when the first & second generation of British Asians came of age and paved a new identity for generations to come. I was the first person in my whole family to be born in the UK as well (80s baby). The music helped British Asians relate to many aspects of British life and other ethnic minorities in the UK. Hence the output of Panjabi MC. He embraced everything from sound system culture, jungle, breaks, hiphop, trip hop, garage to MC-ing. He mixed/sampled the sound of legends like Lal Chand Yamlajat to Gurdaas Maan. He would go on later to feature many traditional singers such Kuldip Manak & Surinder Shinda. You could say for that generation it was a way to learn. The only place I could get hold of this music was when we made family trips from South London to Southall in deepest West London. It was a chance to enjoy what was naturally familiar to rest of my family. My family could visit the largest Gurdwara in the UK, enjoy eating out and just embrace themselves with their mother culture. Plus I got a chance to go to Virdi Brothers shop in Old Southall. This was when tape was still being sold. I’m pretty sure the first tape I bought was Legalised by Panjabi MC.

This is his best and most renowed album. A masterpiece released in 1998 featuring the infamous ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’. My community was listening to this for a whole 5 years before it went global. How mad is that. Even Jay-Z laid down a verse on the remix. It wouldn’t have stayed undiscovered for so long in the internet era. It was strange to experience the birth of the tune twice. Having said that, after 15 years from when I first heard the tune, I’ve witnessed it get the maddest reactions all over the world. Becoming an essential part of any generic party mix the world over. Over time I bought the majority of Panjabi MCs discography on CD. I felt the act of buy the CD was something I could take back with me. Looking back now I think this is where my obsession with buying music probably started from. I can hand on heart say that this was first significant experience/step in my life that opened things up for me in so many ways. It set me on my path and since other significant experiences have come to completely change my life. Strangely this somehow led me to heavy metal. It is only now in my mid 20s that I can look back and recognise life changing experiences.

To this day the one thing that has stayed constant is my location. I guess that says it all. After travelling a lot I have a certain appreciation for where I live. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with some of the changes, but I’ll be discussing that in my photography project. Coming to you soon. I know I went in, but I feel like I had to. It’s not every day you get a chance to share something like this. Hopefully others can relate in a broader sense, and others can understand & learn.

This mix show cases traditional bhangra sounds that are not British influenced, to the more (UKG) garage instrumental sound filled with classic bhangra samples. There is even jungle, hiphop and others classics. Hopefully you’re able to distinguish between the variations of Bhangra. I’ve tried to get that across.

I’d love to hear what you think.

Enjoy. Peace, love & respect from the Whatever Session family. 

 Tracklist

1. Panjabi MC ft Hans Raj Hans & Lalchand Yamlajat – Neuke Phadin Jawanan
2. Panjabi MC ft Labh Janjua Desi – Good Morning
3. Panjabi MC – Moorni Balle Balle
4. Panjabi MC – Bari Barsi
5. Panjabi MC ft Kuldip Manak – Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee
6. Panjabi MC – Lambran Di Noh (Big Phat & Junglist)
7. Panjabi MC ft Surinder Shinda – Mirza (Here I Come Junglist)
8. Panjabi MC ft Lalchand Yamlajat – Pyar Wich (Planet Rock Remix)
9. Panjabi MC ft Labh Janghua – Yaaran Kollon Sikh Kuriye
10. Panjabi MC – Jogi (Stoned & Live)
11. Panjabi MC – Ek Wari Haan Karde
12. Panjabi MC ft Ranjit Manni – Bheer
13. Panjabi MC – GT Road
14. Panjabi MC – Bach Ke
15. Panjabi MC – Panj Pind
16. Panjabi MC ft Kuldip Manak – Jungi
17. Panjabi MC ft Moho & Siddiq – Giddeh Wich
18. Panjabi MC ft Sarbjit Kaur – Kori (Giddah)
19. Panjabi MC – Giddenah Di Rani
20. Panjabi MC ft Surinder Sonia – Raat Da Na Bole (Summertime Remix)
21. Panjabi MC ft Surindar Shinda – Mirza Part 2
22. Panjabi MC ft PMC – Soundz of The Des (Freestyle)
23. Panjabi MC ft PMC – True MC’s
24. Panjabi MC ft PMC & Villain MC – Thugee
25. Panjabi MC ft Surinda Shinda & PMC – Sassi
26. Panjabi MC ft Gurdaas Mann – Challa Part 2
27. Panjabi MC ft Hema Sharma – Ghallan Gurian
28. Panjabi MC ft Master Salim – Dhol Jageero Da
29. Panjabi MC ft Sarvjeet Kaur – Boliyan
30. Panjabi MC ft Labh Janjua – Mundian To Bach Ke (The Knight Rider)