DJ Rekha mixes it up with lecture on bhangra in U.S.

Lauren Sutherland Senior Editor

Bhangra, a form of traditional Indian song and dance that originated in harvest festivals in the Punjabi region of India, has found a home in a radically different—but no less celebratory—setting. Nowadays, it is common to walk into a Manhattan club throbbing with the now-familiar, infectious duet of percussion and string instruments to find a dance floor full of people ecstatically throwing their arms towards the ceiling in a loose, urbanized mimicry of the Indian dance. While bhangra has been popular throughout Europe due to the mid-century South Asian Diaspora, the strength of this burgeoning South Asian cultural phenomenon in America has been largely propelled by the spinning turntables of New York City-based DJ Rekha, arguably the most successful figure in the country’s South Asian music scene.

Rekha will come to Vassar on Tuesday, March 6 to give a lecture and demonstration about bhangra music and South Asian culture. Sponsored by the South Asian Students Alliance (SASA) and the Asian Students’ Alliance, the lecture is part of the “Women of Color in the Media” spring lecture series that is organized by student of color groups.

The traditional bhangra music from which Rekha draws inspiration is rhythm-based, coupling the beats of drums and other Indian percussion instruments with strings and couplets sung in the Punjabi language of Bolis. In recent decades, bhangra’s simple composition has been integrated with disco, reggae, techno and hip-hop to engender a modern incarnation that has become a worldwide sensation. The far-reaching influence of bhangra is found in the songs of American artists such as Jay-Z and British-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.

Rekha is credited for helping the bhangra movement gain its footing in the United States, particularly in New York. In 1997 she launched Basement Bhangra, a monthly dance party based out of the club SOB’s in Manhattan. Approaching its 10th anniversary, the event draws crowds from many ethnicities and generations, and has been recognized as one of New York City’s hottest parties by numerous publications. Rekha also founded Sangament, a music production and consulting company that has collaborated with artists such as Outkast, The Roots and Devo, and she is due to release her own album this spring. She currently teaches at New York University as the Artist in Residence of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Institute.

“The thrill of [DJ Rekha’s] music, all that remix and hybridity, is also the thrill of discovering new selves for ourselves in the diaspora,” said Professor of English Amitava Kumar, who has been an acquaintance of Rekha’s for over 10 years. “In that sense, Rekha is a contemporary icon.” Kumar attended Basement Bhangra during the ’90s, when the events were made especially poignant by the 50-year anniversaries of Pakistani and Indian independence.

After establishing herself in the fickle and maledominated music industry, DJ Rekha began channeling her growing influence toward promoting political and human rights interests. She currently sits on the boards of human rights organizations Breakthrough as well as Pop and Politics, an online blog for aspiring young journalists.

According to SASA Co-President Reeya Banerjee ’07, Rekha will draw from her experiences as a cultural pioneer and political activist to discuss South Asian youth movements in urban centers. She will also talk about the larger bhangra phenomenon, and how it has changed the U.S. club scene. Keeping with the theme of the lecture series, said Banerjee, Rekha will speak “about being in a male-dominated field, what that has been like for her, and any difficulties she has had in regards to [establishing herself as a DJ].”

The lecture will be followed by a demonstration consisting of video clips and a showcase of how DJ Rheka creates her frenzy-inducing music. It will take place in the Students’ Building at 7 p.m.