Introducing You To My Favorite South Asian Songs

Growing up away from home, I always felt a little detached from the first-hand experience of the Indian culture and everything that it has to offer. From going to school in America and then in Japan, I always thought that I was very distant from what it was to be Indian. I actively participated in South Asian societies in America and have always been enthusiastic about getting to know more people like me.

I remember my favorite memory from growing up was a part of the Indian American Student Association (IASA). Regardless of the name, students from all around the South Asian peninsula came together to organize events heavily influenced by music. While this experience allowed me to connect with a society that brought me closer to my home country, I also realized how South Asian music connects us.

Even though most of these songs are limited to only a few South Asian countries, I believe that they connect a massive number of people on the continent.

And other than the fact that almost all South Asian countries watch Bollywood movies and enjoy the same type of entertainment, there is a particular type of beauty in each culture reflected in the art.

The more I explore, the more beautiful musical pieces I find. Here is a sneak peek at my favorite South Asian music lineup playing non-stop!

Charkha

I will introduce one of my all-time favorite Indian Qawali – a style of Muslim devotional music now associated with Sufis – by the Wadali (Lakhwinder and Pooran) Brothers. The Wadali Brothers have been famous for years in India, and almost the entirety of the 1.8 billion people in India at least know one song by them. They have blessed many of my mornings, too, as their songs are played on speakers throughout my house on the weekends.

Laal meri Pat

I grew up singing and listening to a lot of devotional songs. Whether they were Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, or Sindhi devotional songs, I had listened to them all. One of my favorite memories from growing up is going to the temple to attend Sindhi festivities. I remember us all singing, dancing, and genuinely having the time of our lives. Even though we were all separated from our cultures, it was beautiful seeing us all enjoy the same music. This version of “Laal Meri Pat” is from Coke Studio – they cover many Urdu and Punjabi songs, so if you like this one, you will most definitely love the others.

Chamba kitni Duur

This song is very special because it takes me back to the Himalayas – where I spend most of my time when I go back to India. My mother and I were both born somewhere in these mountains, and even though this song is in a regional Himachal Pradesh language, it makes me feel at home more than any other song. Himachali songs primarily reflect the beauty of the Himalayan mountains. Everything is compared to the mountain ranges; whether it is love, home, nostalgia, or even heartbreak, Himachali songs have a way of including beauty in every aspect of life.

Kun Faya

Okay, now let me gush about A.R. Rahman for a bit. A.R. Rahman is one of the world’s most popular and talented musicians that has composed several music masterpieces individually and for Bollywood. This particular recreation of his composition by Berklee College of Music is a creation that has left me mesmerized. Again, this is a specific form of Sufi music that is used a lot in Indian music. A lot of his musical pieces connect within themselves as he uses similar methods of expression for certain emotions – love, sadness, and pain – to create a whole world of music when you put them together. Sometimes, I will be listening to a new song by A.R. Rahman from the late 2000s and suddenly realize that a song he made in the 90s, musically, made me feel the same. And that is how, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. A.R. Rahman bewitches you with his music.

Sajan Das Na

PLEASE BELIEVE ME when I say I am obsessed because I genuinely am. This song choice is personally very selfish because Atif Aslam – a renounced Pakistani singer – is one of the reasons why I fell in love with South Asian music in the first place. He has sung various songs for Bollywood and now mainly performs at concert shows around the world. The reason songs by specifically Atif Aslam are famous in both India and Pakistan is that it creates a sense of unity between the two countries that are otherwise divided. If you are trying to get into South Asian music, I highly suggest starting with his music.

Hassda Disda Rahin

Something that I struggle with the most, being Indian, is pinning down which language I speak with the most fluency. With over 200 languages, India is home to people who simultaneously talk to Hindi, Urdu, English, and their regional language (well, at least in the North). Somedays, I will wake up highly confident in my Urdu because I listened to a Qawali without using Google Translate. On other days, I feel more confident in my Hindi because I can read a whole news article. But I never wake up knowing exactly which language I speak more at home. And to add to my already complicated life, it has recently come to my attention that I actually talk more Punjabi than anything else at home. So, to address this problem now, I have recently started to explore more Punjabi music, and interestingly enough, I have already found some of my favorites.

Ajab si

To honor one of the best singers that India has produced, K.K., I want to introduce this song. Ajab Si – depicted in “Om Shanti Om,” a highly engrossed Indian film, spun out many iconic songs. And this song specifically has been an all-time favorite of many Bollywood fans. K.K., who has sung for many Bollywood big hits, passed away last week during a concert tour of his. But he left behind gems like this one for us all to remember him by. As important as words are when expressing feelings, singers like K.K. prove that a voice full of love creates magic for the heart.

Uff X What makes you beautiful

You can not be a South Asian living abroad and not be in love with Bollywood-western mashups—song mashups like these poke at the Indian and American parts of me. If I grew up listening to Bollywood or obsessing over One Direction, mashups like these serve my plates. And these are precisely the type of songs that people in a similar position as me tend to vibe to the most! P.S. check out the Jack Harlow First Class X Dil Dooba mashup to find your new favorite song.

The best part about being brown has got to be the endless amount of music to vibe to. There is, quite literally, a song to match your every mood and possibly even more. I am incredibly grateful for music because my life revolves around finding, listening to, making, and performing new types of music. Still, when I need a proper mental reset, you will find me on a rooftop, blasting South Asian music on a sunny day!