South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is an annual celebration that runs from July 18 to August 17, honoring the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of people with roots in South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.
Launched in 2020, SAHM aims to foster understanding and appreciation of the diverse heritage that connects the South Asian diaspora to the UK. This feature looks at how South Asian music is flourishing and reaching new audiences, with many positive shifts currently happening within the UK South Asian music ecosystem. These shifts are being driven by global trends and pioneering work being done in the UK.
In this interview, music diversity specialist, Sania Haq, explains more about these positive developments, including her involvement with pioneering South Asian organisations such as BollyCo and Going South. Sania Haq also discusses the wider importance of South Asian representation within music, in relation to inclusivity and dismantling cultural stereotypes.
Sania, your work spans over a decade within the music industry. What are some key insights from your research that have significantly impacted the industry?
For almost a decade now, I’ve specialised in music research, working on some of the industry’s flagship studies for trade bodies, labels, and platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud. One of my proudest achievements is helping the industry better understand the importance and value of global music markets and diverse listeners.
In around 2015, when I was Head of Research at AudienceNet, I began gathering data on people’s interest in music in different languages and global sounds. I noticed this insight was missing and believed it would encourage the industry to explore global music more.
A few years later, we started to see more industry interest in global music markets. For example, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa emerged as the fastest-growing regions by some margin. I have supported the industry in gaining a deeper understanding of key new markets, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria, India, and Indonesia. This research has helped drive a more inclusive approach in the industry, recognizing the richness and potential of diverse musical landscapes.
What inspired you to create the Bye to Stereotypes platform, and what are some notable successes you've achieved so far?
I set up Bye to Stereotypes as a way to integrate my work in research, training, and strategy. While I have a deep passion for research and everything I do is data-driven, I wanted to focus more on actionable outcomes.
I've always been passionate about using data to create social impact, and it has been a real privilege to support international organizations in applying United Nations guidelines on leveraging data to achieve gender equality and address societal inequalities, particularly those affecting marginalized communities.
In the music industry, I've had the opportunity to write, speak, and work closely with organizations to drive change in relation to diversity. This includes being part of the team behind this year’s dedicated South Asian space at Glastonbury.
What are some common stereotypes about South Asian music and artists that you aim to dispel through your work?
Stereotypes about South Asian music have often hindered its recognition and respect within the wider industry, in the UK and beyond. When discussing South Asian music, people often resort to referencing stereotypes like "light bulb" dance moves, which can lead to underconfidence within communities and a feeling of needing to hide one's love for the genre. However, there is a shifting tide. Artists like Diljit Dosanjh, who authentically represent South Asian music, are breaking through mainstream barriers, as evidenced by his performance at Coachella. Diljit’s success is inspiring people to embrace South Asian music more openly. At BollyCo and through my work with organizations like Going South, we're actively working to dispel these stereotypes.
Congratulations on being part of the development of the first major South Asian space ‘Arrivals’ (in collaboration with Dialled In, Daytimers and Going South) at Glastonbury 2024. Can you share what inspired this initiative and how you envision it influencing the future of South Asian music in mainstream festivals?
Over the last few years, I’ve been supporting the team at Going South, spearheaded by legendary DJ Bobby Friction, to highlight the need for greater South Asian representation at mainstream festivals. Given that South Asians comprise around 9% of the population, it is surprising that they are not more prominently featured at festivals, either as artists or attendees.
South Asian music is currently experiencing a surge in popularity and being embraced by global festivals, exemplified by Diljit Dosanjh's performance at Coachella. Thus, increasing South Asian representation at festivals isn't solely a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative; it can also enhance the global profile of these festivals and attract a broader audience.
Credit: Photo by David Fisher/Shutterstock (12794063gk)Joy Crookes42nd BRIT Awards, Arrivals, The O2 Arena, London, UK - 08 Feb 2022 David Fisher/Shutterstock
While South Asian Melas have long been a part of the UK's music ecosystem, these events are often free or very affordable (e.g. £20). Consequently, both South Asian and non-South Asian audiences may not value South Asian artists to the same extent as more mainstream acts. When South Asian artists begin to feature more prominently in mainstream settings such as festivals or awards shows, it will positively influence audience perceptions and encourage greater investment of time and money in supporting these artists. This, in turn, will help South Asian music from the UK diaspora to thrive.
“Glastonbury 2024 represents an important milestone, with Going South collaborating with culture collectives Dialled In and Daytimers to create the Arrivals space.” (Sania Haq)
“There have been waves of south Asian takeovers [at Glastonbury] before, where artists would come and perform on existing spaces and stages, but this space is created entirely by us. We’ve never been given 360-degree scope like this before.” (Ahsan-Elahi Shujaat, director of events at Dialled In Guardian, June 2024)
I hope it is just the beginning of a broader movement to integrate South Asian music into the mainstream festival circuit. I’m looking forward to supporting the industry to make this a reality.
Despite the recent successes, South Asian diaspora artists still face challenges such as lack of exposure and support. What do you think are the most crucial steps that need to be taken to overcome these obstacles and sustain the momentum?
South Asian diaspora artists face a number of unique challenges:
South Asian audiences are spoilt for choice—they have access to the best music coming out of their countries of origin as well as the best of Western music. As a diaspora artist, you are competing with both Bollywood hits and global icons like Taylor Swift. No matter how talented you are, it is hard to cut through all that noise to reach audiences.
We lack in-depth data on South Asian music audiences in the UK, which is something I’m working to improve. For now, we can get an understanding of some of the challenges and opportunities for South Asian artists by looking at streaming data, ticket sales, and social media trends.
Broadly, we see that awareness and exposure are significant challenges for diaspora artists. For example, they are rarely seen in mainstream settings. This leads to less awareness and, sadly, less consideration among potential audiences.
Thankfully, we are seeing some success for artists from the global diaspora, such as AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla. However, these artists tend to have grown up in South Asia and then moved to Western countries later in life. They are therefore able to straddle cultures and have a broader audience that is likely to be aware of and interested in them (i.e. diaspora audiences plus over a billion people in South Asia).
While artists born and brought up outside South Asia do still have the opportunity to appeal globally, as an industry, we need to help them better navigate very specific challenges for diaspora artists.
To sustain the momentum and overcome these obstacles, we need to:
Increase Representation: Ensure that South Asian artists are featured in mainstream settings, from festivals to award shows.
Enhance Visibility: Use data from surveys, streaming, ticket sales, and social media to understand audience preferences and trends, then use this insight to promote diaspora artists more effectively.
Audience Engagement Support: Provide resources and support to help artists born and raised outside South Asia to better connect with both Western and South Asian audiences.
Community Engagement: Foster strong community support and grassroots movements to build a dedicated fanbase.
By addressing these areas, we can create a more supportive environment for South Asian diaspora artists, giving them a fairer opportunity to achieve success.
BollyCo
Can you tell us more about BollyCo and the collaborations it has been involved in?
BollyCo is a London-based, South Asian-focused dance, content, and events company. Established in 2013, it is female-founded and led by choreographer, producer, host, and entrepreneur Nileeka Bose. I’ve been working with Nileeka since she launched BollyCo, and focus on our brand and partnerships management.
The company’s mission is to be a place where "music meets dance," supporting the music industry and brands through dance-related services and content.We’ve had the pleasure of working with a broad range of South Asian and non-South Asian artists, including DJ Snake, Steven Wilson, Badshah, Stefflon Don, and Sidhu Moose Wala.
Our creative direction and choreography have also been featured in globally recognized productions such as Marvel Studios' The Eternals and Universal Pictures' Polite Society, as well as landmark shows like the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Concert. We also curate our own shows under the brand "BollyCo Live," supporting diaspora artists and also bringing global South Asian talent to the UK.
We've collaborated with major brands like Adidas, Burberry, Deliveroo, Peloton, and Samsung, advising on and curating events and campaigns that celebrate South Asia’s rich and diverse heritage.
With our social media platforms reaching an average of 1 million viewers each month, BollyCo has become a vibrant space for celebrating, embracing, and expressing South Asian identity. Our commitment to uplifting South Asian culture with respect and reverence has made us a trusted partner for brands and artists who care as deeply about these audiences as we do.
What do you see as the most promising opportunities for South Asian music to continue its rise globally?
South Asian music is thriving and connecting with audiences both in the region and within the diaspora, largely driven by the rapid spread of streaming and trends through social media. Unlike a few years ago, when the strategy for global success focused on trying to "cross over" to engage broader, non-South Asian audiences, the current focus is on creating authentic music.
Diljit Dosanjh exemplifies this success. He sings in Punjabi, dresses traditionally, and speaks little English, yet he finds himself on global platforms such as Coachella and the Jimmy Fallon show. His success shows that the wider industry is also starting to see the commercial value of cultural authenticity.
However, supporting artists from the diaspora still presents challenges. They are not finding it easy to benefit from the global rise of South Asian music due to their unique circumstances. The UK music ecosystem needs to support these artists more effectively by raising awareness of their work and providing guidance on navigating their specific challenges. With this support, diaspora artists can add significant value to the UK music industry, including the potential to reach massive audiences across South Asia.