Looking to hear some new spicy sounds outside of your Spotify playlists? Well, you don’t have to look any further, because we want to introduce you to some major South Asian talent on the music scene. These DJs are bonafide experts at bhangra mash-ups and Bollywood banger remixes—you should check them out!

Nino Brown (she/her)

A regular on the party circuit in Toronto with over a decade of experience,Nino Brown is the  Co-founder of well-known club night Yes Yes Y’all. It’s an alternative bashment and dancehall series which attracts a diverse queer community, and that’s not all! She’s been behind the decks for Boiler Room sets and featured on Vice and The Cut to present her favourite tunes.

Find her on Mixcloud.

Business Bacha (she/her)

Anya Rawla, AKA Business Bacha is the latest addition to Vancouver-based Acceleration Radio’s DJ line-up. Her recent The Gemini Mix is moody and psychedelic, with bursts of kitchy sounds and she’s also made a tape for Queer Art Exchange which is super eclectic, jumping from Punjabi MC’s classic ‘Mundian To Bache Ke’  (Beware of the Boys) to Lady Gaga’s ‘Free Woman’. 

You can see her in action IRL, as she’ll be playing at Sher Vancouver’s Pride parade float on July 31 and at Sound_Therapy.Wav Music Festival live from August 18-21, tickets available here.

Aisha Mirza (they/them)

Legendary London-based, Mirza is the Founder of Misery, a sober club night for BIPOC  and trans folks centered around mental health. They regularly play at hot spots such as Fabric and have created guest mixes for BBC Asian Network and South Asian collective, Daytimers. Mirza has also been spotlighted in British Vogue, as a creative who is revolutionizing city nightlife. Their iconic mixtape titles range from Pxssyiana Mix to No Mercy.  

Expect U.K rap, slow jams with a twist and some Middle Eastern influences (they are Pakistani/ Egyptian). 

Listen to their sounds here.

Suchi (she/her)

Norwegian native Suchi, who now lives in Manchester, U.K is a host for NTS Radio. She has toured globally with Boiler Room and for huge European festivals such as Sonar, Barcelona collaborating with fellow talent Yung Singh. She continuously brings fresh South Asian artists to the forefront in her compilations and quite honestly, sparks pure joy with her ability to seamlessly blend electronica with Bollywood. People are definitely fist pumping throughout her shows!

Listen here. 

Tara Kumar (she/her)

Irish delight, Kumar is a half Indo-Malaysian who rocks a bindi daily and has travelled with fashion brands such as Hurr, Huda Beauty and beverage fave, White Claw for her music genius. Her taste is straight-up party, perfect for gyrating on a sweaty dancefloor and

The Bhangra Bus is Coming  playlist (yes, as in the “Venga Bus is Coming”, but with a Desi-twist!) is one of my not-so-guilty pleasures when I want to lift my mood.

Tune in here.

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