Punjabi and Bhangra DJ Birmingham

Birmingham and Bhangra

Birmingham has a real claim to British Bhangra. The Bhujhangy Group, formed in Smethwick, released some of the earliest records to mix Punjabi folk with Western instruments in the early 1970s, on a Birmingham label. In the 1980s, Birmingham bands such as Apna Sangeet helped grow a scene that sold huge numbers of cassettes through local shops, and Malkit Singh, who has lived in the Midlands since 1984, became one of the best-known Bhangra singers in the world.

The result is that many Birmingham guests know this music deeply. They will notice if a DJ only has the current hits, or plays the classics at the wrong moment.

What a Punjabi and Bhangra DJ needs

• classic Bhangra alongside current Punjabi releases, and the knowledge to move between them
• the judgement to build energy across a long night without exhausting the dance floor by ten o’clock
• smooth moves into Bollywood, UK chart, R&B and party classics for mixed crowds
• a sound system with enough low end for a big hall, set up so it is clear rather than just loud
• if you want them, dhol players for entrances and the dance floor, timed with the DJ’s set

A Punjabi wedding, event by event

Many Punjabi families, Sikh and Hindu, celebrate over several events. The exact order varies, but a DJ is often involved in:

• Maiyan and mehndi. Usually family nights at home or in a hall, with singing, folk songs and dancing. See our page on the mehndi and sangeet DJ for these nights.
• The jaggo. A lively night before the wedding, traditionally with relatives carrying a decorated pot of lamps and dancing through the neighbourhood. Today it is often held at home or in a hall, and many families want dhol and a DJ to keep it going.
• The wedding day. For Sikh families the Anand Karaj takes place in the gurdwara, without a DJ. The music picks up later in the day.
• The reception or party. Usually in a banqueting suite, with entrances, speeches, family dances and hours of Bhangra.

Building a Bhangra night

A good Bhangra set is about pacing. A specialist DJ will usually:

1. start with music that suits food and conversation, at a level older guests are comfortable with
2. open the dance floor with songs everyone knows, so the family gets up first
3. build through current Punjabi tracks and the big crowd favourites
4. use dhol, if booked, at a high point rather than all at once
5. keep a few of the songs your family always dances to for the end of the night

The wedding playlist and first dance guide helps you write a must-play and do-not-play list for the DJ.

Not just weddings

Punjabi and Bhangra DJs also play birthdays, anniversaries, engagement parties and Vaisakhi celebrations. If you are planning one of those, our party DJ page covers the basics, and the matching form works the same way.

On cost: quotes vary a lot with the number of events, the hours, the setup, lighting and dhol. The DJ we match you with quotes you directly.

How we match you

Tell us which events you are holding, their dates and venues, the Punjabi and Bhangra you love, and whether you want dhol. We send your enquiry to one Birmingham DJ who specialises in this music, never a list, and they contact you directly.