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India:
Traditional Punjabi musicians


Listen: Punjabi Musicians


When Rupert Murdoch launched his satellite television assault on the Indian subcontinent, there were cries of "cultural invasion."

Today, however, those fears seem to have been unfounded -- at least as far as music is concerned. Instead of destroying Indian music Channel V, Murdoch's Asian satellite music arm, has spawned a whole new industry -- Hindi Pop.


Fusing traditional sounds from the Punjab with everything from rap to reggae, Hindi Pop has everyone dancing, except the traditional Punjabi musicians who see the racy video clips and disco beat as a bastardisation of their past.

Bhangra is a celebration of happiness...wherever there is happiness there has to be Bhangra. And so on the outskirts of Chandigarh in India's Punjab so it proved to be. We found ourselves witnessing an entire village turned out in their finery to perform the Bhangra. Indecipherable lyrics but undeniable joy.