Mohinder Kaur Bhamra: Punjabi Disco review – rediscovery of an 80s trailblazer

(Naya Beat)Punjabi folk vocals backed by hammering electronic percussion, disco basslines and fizzing synth melody: a key predecessor to the Asian dance music explosionIn 1982, London-based Sikh devotional singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra recorded a true oddity. Accompanied by her son Kuljit on an early Roland synthesiser and drum machine, the pair laid down nine tracks of Punjabi folk vocals backed by hammering electronic percussion, disco basslines and fizzing synth melody. Only 500 copies of the resulting album, Punjabi Disco, were pressed; it was released to confusion from a diaspora audience used to the bombast of bhangra. In the decades since, rare LPs have appeared on resale sites, but Kuljit’s recent rediscovery of the master tapes has now made the record widely available for the first time.The blipping electronic toms and rattling shaker of opening number Disco Wich Aa set the tone, gradually building a swaying groove over siren-like synth melody before Mohinder’s falsetto vocal takes over, entreating the listener to come and dance. Employing the melismatic, note-gliding technique of Indian classical singing, her vocals are delightfully versatile, skipping over the fast-paced disco bass of Nainan Da Pyar De Gaya, yearning with drawn-out notes alongside the bossa rhythms of Soniya Mukh Tera and making full-throated declarations on the driving groove of Ve Tu Jaldi Jaldi Aa. Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

The Bruce Springsteen movie sucked me in with a raw and revealing performance

Metro

Comments

Culture

The Bruce Springsteen movie sucked me in with a raw and revealing performance

Strictly Come Dancing live: Speculation ramps up over successors to Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly

‘10 innocent people died’: The tragic history behind dark Springsteen album that inspired new biopic

Rebecca Ferguson accepts her ‘bluntness’ could be her secret trick to landing roles

‘I had to puke in co-star David Jonsson’s mouth for new prison thriller’

Stephen Fry reveals which contestants he wants to win Celebrity Traitors

Former Strictly pro James Jordan gives verdict on show’s future as Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly quit

Demi Lovato - It's Not That Deep review: dance-pop bangers that peer into the soul

The Assembled Parties review: 'The show belongs to Tracy-Ann Oberman'

Disgraced rock star Ian Watkins died from stab wound to the neck, inquest hears

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s ‘real reasons’ for leaving Strictly revealed

The Faithfuls on Celebrity Traitors have set a record – and it’s not good

Strictly Come Dancing odds: Who will replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly?

Stellan Skarsgård reveals teen son bullied at school and called nepo baby

Tess and Claudia have given Strictly the latest shock exit for a troubled show – but it’s not the death knell

Strictly judge Anton Du Beke calls Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s exit ‘the saddest news’

Celebrity Traitors contestants set unwanted record as more Faithfuls are banished

Posthumous books are messy and fraught – but Virginia Giuffre’s is a reclamation

Frankie Muniz and ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ stars look unrecognisable in photo from set of revival

Demi Lovato review, It’s Not That Deep: Plenty of human heart pumping beneath the bangers

CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, 67, reveals ovarian cancer return after month off air

Brandi Carlile: 'Joni Mitchell is wild. She'll drink you under the table'

Booker Prize launches new award for children's fiction

Sabotage, Claudia's ire and the chess board is back as things heat up on The Traitors

German Company Launches Ad After Its Lift Is Used in Louvre Heist

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with brain aneurysm

'People want you to stay in your lane': Reese Witherspoon on her 'deeply personal' decision to write a novel

Lily Allen review, West End Girl: A brutal, tell-all masterpiece

Boy George on ‘taking ownership’ of criticism by putting it in his artwork

West End Girl by Lily Allen: Betrayal concept album is like The Streets writing Lemonade

The Celebrity Traitors episode 6 review: step up Nick Mohammed, the great betrayer

Tess Daly revealed if Vernon Kay would do Strictly before her shock exit

Celebrity Traitors fans convinced Alan Carr has ‘shot himself in the foot’ with major blunder

Lily Allen’s West End Girl is an unflinching postmortem of her failed marriage

A few things to consider before committing a museum heist

Outer Banks co-creator Jonas Pate accused of shaking and yelling at production assistant

‘She redefined who belongs’: Misty Copeland takes final bow with American Ballet Theatre

The Celebrity Traitors episode 6 review: step up Nick Mohammed, the great betrayer

ITV reveals first look at Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover Corriedale

Celebrity Traitors’ most devastating banishment might finally turn the tide

Bake Off star Laura Adlington announces birth of first child after ‘nine years of wishing’

Guns N’ Roses issue statement after Axl Rose filmed kicking band’s drum kit

A few things to consider before committing a museum heist

Phyllis Trible, Who Studied Bible Through Feminist Lens, Dies at 92

“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” Tamps the Boss Down

Jessie J to sing at Royal Variety Performance after breast cancer surgery

TV star Isabelle Tate dies aged 23 just months after filming hit show

Inbetweeners fans demand iconic duo return in reboot after stars reunite

How presidents have changed the White House — and how Trump's ballroom is different

'Why does my toddler … ?' Your kiddo's most confounding behavior, decoded

'It Was Just an Accident' is a blast of pure anti-authoritarian rage

Reba McEntire to host TV special that she’s ‘always wanted to do’

911 Nashville actor Isabelle Tate dies aged 23 just months after filming show

Stellan Skarsgard shares innovative technology he uses to help him act after stroke

Foo Fighters announce 2026 stadium tour as Dave Grohl says band is ‘forever devoted’ to playing

Rob Kardashian returns to family’s reality TV show after years out of the spotlight

Iconic 90s pop star teases that he’s replacing Tess and Claudia on Strictly

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro says 'I'd rather die' than use generative AI

Mark Morris Accused in Lawsuit of Mistreating Black Company Members

‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Review: The Boss in the Void