In “Behold the Leviathan: The Unusual Rise of Modern India”, our forthcoming book which will be published by Penguin Random House on 21st Oct (see here ), we highlight the rise of a new Indian elite, namely, people without IIT/IIM/foreign degrees, people who are more comfortable in the vernacular than in English and people who are very comfortable with their regional Indian identities rather than trying to fit into some definition of global citizenry or Indian cosmopolitanism. This story from the BBC about how Punjabi megastar Diljit Dosanjh became a global star by doubling down on his Punjabi identity, attire and language is a stunning example of the power of embracing your own, authentic identity rather than adapting to whatever is deemed to be mainstream.
Manish Pandey writes for the BBC: “”Punjabi Aa Gaye Oye (Punjab has arrived)”.
There’s only one way to start a show if you’re Diljit Dosanjh.
The trailblazing Punjabi artist has had a dizzying rise over the past few years.
He’s been heard across the world thanks to collaborations with Western acts including Sia, Ed Sheeran and rapper Saweetie.
And he cemented his megastar status by becoming the first Punjabi-language singer to perform at US music festival Coachella, following that with an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.
But, as the traditional greeting he uses at the start of each show suggests, wherever he goes in the world, he always brings Punjab with him.
And fans, collaborators and friends say that’s part of the secret to his appeal….
“He’s shown how important it is to keep in touch with your culture,” says Khushi Kaur, a British Punjabi vocalist.
“And in an empowering way, as an artist who is growing,” Khushi, 20, tells BBC Newsbeat.
Khushi, from Nottingham, considers Diljit her main role model and feels his commitment to Punjabi culture explains some of the success.
“He has worked with Western artists, but maintained that cultural aspect,” she says.
“And that is so important because when us as the younger generation look at that, and see what he’s done… it says to us we can be a part of that.
“In our music or the way we dress, it makes us look up and say ‘we can make it’.”
During his appearance on The Tonight Show, Diljit performed in his native language and dressed in traditional Punjabi attire, with a bhangra-filled performance.”
Dosanjh’s global success has been doubly important for the massive Punjabi diaspora which resides in the Anglo-Saxon countries. For them Dosanjh’s rise has connotations which go beyond music:
“Siblings Vaibhav and Taniya Happy, who were born in Punjab and grew up listening to Diljit’s early music, say he gives them a slice of home.
Now living in Glasgow, they tell Newsbeat they are “proud” of his journey.
“When he performed at Coachella, that was a proud moment for Punjabis,” says Vaibhav, 20.
“It feels like he’s doing it for us. He was wearing cultural clothes and enjoying himself as a Punjabi, not changing his appearance for other people.”
Taniya, 25, says Diljit has a vibe which is unmatched.
“When you grow up, you can lose a part of your culture as you start adapting to new cultures,” she says.
She feels in an English-speaking country like the UK, “it’s hard for people to speak Punjabi unless they are in their own household”.
“So it’s nice to see people out there singing Diljit, because he sings in Punjabi, and then it feels like your own place.
“It doesn’t feel like you’re in a foreign country,” she says.”
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