July 18 marked the start of South Asian Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and culture of eight countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
This year marks a particularly monumental milestone: the 75th anniversary of India’s and Pakistan’s independence.
On this occasion, Spotify is celebrating the wide breadth of talent in and inspired by these countries. Through a revamped on-platform hub, listeners can find popular Desi playlists, exclusive playlist takeovers from noteworthy community members, and more.
To kick off the month, Spotify asked a collection of artists and creators about how their South Asian culture has influenced their work.
ASIM AZHAR, PAKISTANI SINGER-SONGWRITER — “I started doing music in 2012 because I felt like there was a void in our South Asian music scene where there wasn’t enough culture crossing. That was my main aim. What I do now is incorporate and try to blend Eastern sounds and instruments in my pop-oriented songs, which usually have a Western arrangement-whether it’s melodically or lyrically representing my South Asian culture. For instance, we added qawali in one of my really popular songs, and I feel like a lot of people resonated with it because it brought them back to their culture as soon as the chorus hit and the qawali started. I try my best to slip in South Asian themes and sounds in my music and make a modernized version out of it. Also, I’m really happy how it’s being done more often and so well in our side of the world now. We’ve come a long way, but a lot more to go!”
HASAN RAHEEM, PAKISTAN ISINGER-SONGWRITER — “I’ve grown up listening to South Asian music, so melodically I’ve been influenced and inspired by a lot of other artists and their songs without losing my own essence and originality. Sampling old classical songs and experimenting pop, R&B, hip-hop with those samples has been very helpful in setting the sound that I have now. Musically, I was inclined to incorporate the sounds of instruments such as shehnai, tabla, and sarangi in my songs, which are a huge part of Pakistani classical and North Indian music.”
DIVINE, INDIAN HIP-HOP ARTIST — “I feel like the spirit of South Asia, at its very core, is about hustling and overcoming circumstances where the odds are stacked against us. Throughout my career, I have tried to pen down lyrics that represent this very undying spirit. Musically, while I draw a lot of my influences from the West, I often try to pick up nuggets from more traditional South Asian music-whether it be interpolation of lyrics from an iconic Bollywood hit/film or picking up samples from classic Indian melodies. Music from film has been a shared heritage and a connecting thread for all of us who call South Asia our home or have roots going back here.”
RAJA KUMARI, INDIAN AMERICAN RAPPER — “My South Asian heritage is integral to everything I do as an artist. Whether it be the sounds or visuals, my culture is just a part of who I am.”
MUMZY STRANGER, BRITISH BANGLADESHI RAPPER & PRODUCER — “As a British Bangladeshi, I have grown up listening to Western and Eastern music, especially Bollywood music. I have picked up instruments and melodies from South Asian culture and fused this with Western genres to create a unique sound, which I am championing currently.”