How Basement Bhangra Became a Cultural Hub for the South Asian Diaspora

• Basement Bhangra was founded in 1997 as an inclusive dance party for South Asians in New York.
• The club became a space for experimenting with music from the diaspora.
• Although it closed in 2017, it remains a cultural beacon for upcoming South Asian musicians.

On a sweltering, overcrowded Saturday in New York City, Central Park was packed with thousands of South Asians ready to throw down.

On August 6, Basement Bhangra—the now-defunct dance party founded by DJ Rekha in 1997—celebrated its 25th anniversary with a revival party at Central Park’s Summerstage co-produced by community leaders Jashima Wadehra and Pradeepa Jeevan.

It was a party like no other. Younger South Asians danced the Giddha to the beat of a dhol drum, while young and old sat on grassy fields, gathered together to celebrate their common culture and heritage.

Since its inception in 1997 over its 20 years, Basement Bhangra has become an institution for New York City’s South Asian community. Queens native DJ Rekha held court at SOB’s, a nightclub in Lower Manhattan, spinning tracks late into the night for patrons of all ages to dance to.

“Like, I’m visibly queer. And I’ve had my own personal journey with that. That’s a statement in itself,” founder DJ Rekha, whose full name is Rekha Malhotra, explained to Insider. “What most people don’t realize about the diaspora and dance music is that the earliest club nights were started by queer people and that part of our history isn’t necessarily acknowledged.”

Although it closed in 2017, the dance party has become synonymous with diaspora history, marking itself as the backdrop for the coming of age of South Asians on the East Coast since the late 90s.

The Birth of the Bhangra Cellar

Before living in the United States, Rekha spent some of her early years in London. Throughout the late 80s and early 90s, young South Asians across the UK partied during the day in clubs and danced to Bhangra music, creating a South Asian underground scene akin to raves. Not only did this allow young South Asians to claim a safe space for themselves at a time when discrimination in the UK was rife, but it also opened the doors for a whole generation of DJs in the diaspora.

Rekha began their career as a DJ in New York City in the early 90s, spinning at Soca Paradise, an old nightclub that was a hub for the Indo-Caribbean population of Queens during their early days. They would spin Chutney Soca, a hybrid musical genre popular in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. The sounds of Chutney Soca fuse Hindustani Classical with western and island elements. Instruments with a deep history in South Asia, such as the harmonium and tabla, are often included, with a mix of Hindi and English lyrics.

The exposure from Rekha’s early career tracks to South Asian youth attracted organizers who asked them to create a club themed night. This eventually developed into a monthly event, known as Basement Bhangra, which took place on the first Thursday of every month.

Rekha said they often received “racist” and “classist” directives from other clubs they were DJing for.

“Don’t play ‘black music’ and don’t play Bhangra. [It was] classist against Bhangra because it was seen as the music of taxi drivers, the lower-wage workers of our community, and it was racist because they assumed that ‘black music’ would attract a different crowd,” Rekha explained.

As a DJ who often made songs that the audience did not understand due to language barriers, Rekha began to understand the importance of dancing and movement in the songs they played.

DJ Rekha’s indelible mark

Over the years, DJ Rekha has become a mentor to up and coming musicians of the diaspora. Basement Bhangra has spawned the careers of some of the most talented artists of the South Asian diaspora.

“DJ Rekha is legendary,” Sikh Knowledge, a Canadian-Punjabi rapper who performed at Basement Bhangra’s 25th anniversary party, told Insider. “Rekha created a space for queer Desis. A safe space for queer femme men, Punjabi lesbian women—you were safe there no matter how you presented.”

The musician first learned about Basement Bhangra through cultural programming when he was growing up in Toronto. On Sundays, Kannada television showed various cultural programs and spotlighted Basement Bhangra. Years later, Sikh Knowledge became part of the show’s long history.

The list of artists who have performed at Basement Bhangra in its 25-year history is huge: Artists like Horsepowar, Madame Gandhi, Sikh Knowledge and Panjabi MC, who wrote the legendary Bhangra hit “Mundian To Bach Ke” (remixed made famous by Jay -Z), have graced the stage at the coveted event.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary, American Punjabi singer and rapper Jasmine Sandlas headlined and performed some of her biggest hits, including “Illegal Weapon,” which has amassed over half a billion views on Youtube.

A space for creativity and experimentation

True to its original founding ethos, Basement Bhangra also became a place where emerging South Asian musicians could experiment with new forms of expression.

“It was the first one that really allowed us to feel a space in the nightlife community, a space where you can reach your music from your culture,” Raaginder, an Indian violinist, told Insider.

The unique blend of music coming out of the South Asian diaspora — like Raaginder’s mix of classical Indian violin and hip hop — often eliminates a specific genre.

“My sound is an amalgamation of my upbringing in the diaspora,” said Raaginder. I would listen to hip hop, Jay-Z, Kanye at school and I grew up singing and playing Indian drums and fiddle at home with my musician parents. was inspired by.”

Basement Bhangra not only cultivated a space that allowed diverse music from an immigrant diaspora to flourish, but also exposed bands like Red Baraat, which fuses North Indian brass with jazz, to more South Asian fans.

Red Baraat initially did not have a defined audience. It wasn’t until they played a few sets at Basement Bhangra that the band exploded in popularity among South Asian listeners.

“Rekha definitely put us in front of a large group of people who maybe didn’t hear about us, strong Punjabis who were ready to throw down,” said Sunny Jain, founder of Red Baraat and dhol player.

The next generation of music

Basement Bhangra was instrumental in increasing South Asian representation in music, and artists said its legacy will have a lasting impact on the next generation of musicians in the diaspora.

“Having that representation is such a big thing because you’re not going to feel like you’re doing it for the first time. It adds so much pressure,” Raaginder said.

The musicians told Insider that the feeling of being part of a larger community of musicians will lead to more experimentation and vibrant new sounds from the next generation of South Asian creators.

“I feel like our moment is coming soon,” Raaginder said. “The South Asian moment is knocking on the door.”

As for what’s next, DJ Rekha has a clear idea of ​​where they hope the Basement Bhangra legacy will take them.

“There are two things,” DJ explained. “One, we, as South Asians, want access to the same things that everyone else has, and two, we need to give everyone the same access. As great as it is to see South Asian excellence in entertainment , I want to see us open the doors not only for ourselves, but also for other groups”.