Tag: global music

Punjabi Music Gains Worldwide Recognition

April 26, 2023

Punjabi Feature Header

Punjabi music is enjoying a remarkable rise in popularity—and not just with listeners in India, but also among the diaspora and broader global audiences. Of the 10 most-streamed songs in India in 2022, four were in Punjabi, with “Excuses” by AP Dhillon, Intense, and Gurinder Gill taking the top spot as the most-streamed song and Moosetape, by the late Sidhu Moose Wala, nabbing the spot for the most-streamed album. Outside of India, Punjabi artists have been lighting up the stage at some of the world’s top events, representing the community and the demand for this music beyond the home country.

“Today Punjabi is one of the most-streamed music languages on Spotify in India, with playlists such as Punjabi 101 and Hot Hits Punjabi emerging as the go-to destinations for listeners to discover the best and biggest hits,” says Rahul Balyan, Spotify’s Head of Music for India. “The global recognition for Punjabi artists is evident with moments like Diljit Dosanjh’s recent gig at Coachella, a first for any Punjabi artist, and AP Dhillon’s performance at the Juno Awards in Canada earlier this year.” 

Recently, Spotify partnered with music labels in India to launch three new Spotify Singles: “Maan Punjabi” by Tarsem Jassar, “Raanjha” by Nimrat Khaira, and “Challa” by Gurdas Maan and Diljit Dosanjh. These tracks highlight the true breadth of Punjabi music’s folk roots and traditional sound mixed with the modern, global elements that have put the scene on the world’s must-listen list.

Speaking to the adoption of these international sounds in Punjabi music, Nimrat Khaira, one of India’s most popular singers, tells For the Record, “The Punjabi music industry is inspiring the world, and the world’s music, in turn, is inspiring us. Our music is an amalgamation of hip-hop, pop, rock, and classical, so it truly is made up of a global sound.” She adds, “We commonly use piano and guitar in Punjabi music, which makes the music familiar to the global audience. These two instruments are now becoming an imperative part of the Punjabi music industry.”

The growing popularity of Punjabi pop around the world has also led to some of its elements making their way into international music. “Punjabi music is influencing international beat patterns by reintroducing Punjabi beats based on instruments such as the dhol, sitar, and flute, and percussion instruments—like the tabla,” says Indo-Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter Karan Aujla. “It’s fascinating to see our community and all our hard work expand so much.” 

“Punjabi music is influencing music today by connecting with people that are hungry for art,” says Ikky, a Canadian music producer who has worked with some of the biggest Punjabi artists in the world today, including Diljit Dosanjh and Shubh. “Punjabi people tend to support their own, and I think the music industry picks up on that.”

This growth is only set to continue, these artists believe. “Punjabi music is in a position like never before,” says Nimrat Khaira. “Millions of people are listening to it, humming it, and dancing to it. The entire credit goes to the artists and their teams who have been making some Earth-shattering content that is blowing up the international market. From here I just know there’s no looking back.” B Praak, an Indian singer, composer, music director, and producer, says, “We are present in almost all the continents now. Our aim is to present Punjabi music at the Oscars soon!”

If you’re beginning your journey into Punjabi music, Karan Aujla recommends the track “Gangsta,” which he made with YG, “to further recognize the melodies and rhyme patterns of Punjabi hip-hop songs.” B Praak, whose favorite genre is sad romantic, recommends starting with his track “Mann Bharrya.” And Ikky, who enjoys Punjabi pop, suggests “Summer High” by AP Dhillon.

Listen to the latest trending tracks in Punjabi with our Punjabi 101 playlist

From Egyptian Pop to Indian Bollywood, R3HAB Tastes the World’s Many Sonic Flavors

April 7, 2020

These days, Dutch house producer R3HAB is looking past borders and across the seas for inspiration.

His songs usually fit along nicely with those of fellow Dutch DJs like Afrojack and Hardwell, delivering pulsing beats with a pop flourish. But recently he teamed up with a force from farther south—Egyptian superstar Amr Diab, whose warm, lively croon sails over sparkly synths and a syncopated Dutch thump on a remix of Diab’s 2019 hit “Youm Talat.”

Mixing music of different cultures is often easier said than done, but for R3HAB, this and other recent globe-trotting collaborations came about naturally. “I love the Middle East. I love Southeast Asia. I love India. I love the food, I love the culture, I love the people,” the 34-year-old DJ and producer tells For the Record. “I always listen to all types of music, so it doesn’t matter where it’s from. Spotify stimulates this with their playlists from music all around the world. I just turn those on, and I don’t try to put what I hear in a box.” R3HAB’s appetite for music from all around the world is on full display in his new track—a collaborative cover of the Radiohead song “Creep” featuring DJ/producer/remixer GATTÜSO. Their creative take on the rock classic is the first-ever “mint Singles,” a spin-off of the popular Spotify Singles series and companion to our flagship dance playlist, mint.

Born Fadil El Ghoul, R3HAB grew up in the southern Netherlands city of Breda, where Hardwell also grew up. Dutch house has long had an eclectic streak—Afrojack’s “Moombah” remix was the source code for the freaky fusions of moombahton, after all. And R3HAB takes his own free-flowing approach to dance music, borrowing and reinventing at will.

But he hit a whole new level of cultural engagement when he performed last year at MDL Beast, a massive music festival in Riyadh where R3HAB delivered show-stopping performances. Tens of thousands of fans sang along as he laid down remixes and pumping beats for the likes of Egyptian star Mohamed Hamaki and Saudi legend Rabeh Saqer.

Diab also appeared onstage at MDL Beast, where he and R3HAB unveiled the remix of “Youm Talat.” R3HAB loved the idea of working with the Egyptian great; his mom is a huge fan, and he’s made an indelible mark on pop music from Cairo to Times Square. Diab reached out to R3HAB before the Riyadh festival, sending him the studio recordings of the track and other songs so the younger artist could rebuild them as remixes.

The original “Youm Talat” bursts with Diab’s trademark Mediterranean rhythms and lovestruck lyrics sung in the Egyptian dialect. On the remix, R3HAB keeps Diab’s vocals—instantly recognizable to any fan of Arab pop—but swaps out the Andalusian accordion and Cairo party beat for a silky-smooth sound fit for the peak hours of a late-night dance party. “We made a totally new version with a totally different feel, and he loved it so much,” R3HAB says. “We’re actually working on more music now.”

In addition to reworking Diab’s music, R3HAB teamed up recently with Indian songwriter Qaran Mehta to record “Ki Kehna,” a nightclub ballad that combines Dutch house with swooning Bollywood pop. It’s projects like these that distinguish R3HAB as a global-minded innovator. 

“R3HAB is a really talented DJ and producer, building his career very well over the last years,” says Wilbert Mutsaers, Spotify Head of Music Benelux. “He’s in our perspective one of the most hardworking, friendly, and motivated Dutch DJs we know, and also very actively involved in promoting his own music and collabs.”

Indeed, wherever R3HAB is, he’s always hungry for new sounds and collaborators. “It’s actually similar to my food,” he says. “I like to taste all kitchens all around the world.”

Hit play on Spotify’s flagship dance playlist, mint, to hear R3HAB’s and GATTÜSO’s new remix of the Radiohead classic “Creep.”

Egyptian Star Amr Diab Sings for the Whole World

November 12, 2019

Amr Diab is perpetually falling in love. His easy smile and sing-along melodies carry a deep yearning, his lyrics full of heartfelt sighs and eloquent entreaties. It’s no wonder the term habibi—Arabic for “my dear” or “my darling”—figures so prominently in his greatest hits. “Yalla, let’s go! Come my darling, come!” Diab cries in the title track of his forthcoming album, Ana Gheir. “How many times will we live?” 

Born in the coastal city of Port Said, Diab came of age when the country was going through a major transition in pop. The golden age of the 1950s and ’60s was a time for greats like Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez. Their music was steeped in Arabic classical traditions, prizing orchestral formalism, powerful crooning, and displays of musical rapture. 

But by the time Diab began his career in the early ’80s, studios were more high tech and the rise of “world music” had generated a greater international interest in Arabic sounds. Soon, artists like Diab, Syria’s George Wassouf and Algerian raï maestro Khaled were reinventing pop across the region, championing eclectic new styles. While Kulthum was celebrated for singing poetry in classical Arabic, Diab’s lyrics were usually written in the Egyptian colloquial dialect, which helped him connect to a younger audience. On the radio, hits like “Nour El Ain” (“Light of the Eye”) and “Tamally Ma‘ak” (“Always with You”) combined the syncopated beats and vocal refrains of Cairo street music with swooning Andalusian guitar licks and galloping flamenco rhythms.

Famed for his lovestruck lyrics, steamy Mediterranean grooves, and techno ballads, Diab has since vaulted from his place as one of Egypt’s biggest stars in the ’80s to a position on the global stage—on Spotify, most of his streams come from the United States, Sweden, and Germany. “Music is a language that speaks emotions and not only words. I am blessed to have touched people around the world with my music,” Diab tells For the Record. “Spotify has allowed so many artists to connect with fans beyond borders and I am glad for that.”

“What Amr Diab was doing, from the beginning, really, was look [sic] to the Mediterranean for his sound,” explains Saeed Saeed, a prominent music and culture journalist who covers Arabic arts and entertainment for United Arab Emirates-based newspaper the National. According to Saeed’s research, one of Diab’s biggest influences was the Gipsy Kings, the world music stars from the south of France whose love for flamenco, salsa, and Andalusian folk comes through in many of Diab’s ballads. “From what I was told, he absolutely loved the Gipsy Kings. He devoured their records, and he really wanted that sound,” Saeed says. 

The latest singles from his newest effort, Ana Gheir, reflect Diab’s admiration for Mediterranean sounds and romantic lyrics. For instance, the album’s aforementioned title track translates to  “I Am Different,” and over plucks of nylon-stringed Spanish guitar, the song tells the story of a man promising his new love that he’s not like the rest of the guys. Meanwhile, “Youm Talat” (“A Tuesday”) unfolds with an Egyptian maqsoom rhythm and Mediterranean accordion and Diab’s reveling in delightful wordplay as he swoons over three ladies. 

Diab’s continent-crossing sounds and relatable lyrics are what’s helped the singer win over audiences not just in the Arab world, but across the globe. “He took Arabic pop music into a new direction, so for that he’s deeply important,” Saeed says. “His music is quite universal.” A 2013 tour celebrating Diab’s nearly four-decades-long career saw him playing sold-out concerts as far off as Australia, Romania, and Greece. He was even recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2016 for the record-breaking number of trophies he’s taken home in the annual World Music Awards. Now, to celebrate his legacy and global impact, Diab will be appearing November 12 on a billboard in Times Square. 

No matter where he is in the world, the swooning singer shines like the moon in the night, always encouraging sweet thoughts of habibi. 

Take a listen to This Is Amr Diab for all things lovely.