The Rough Guide to Bhangra

Bhangra is the dance music rooted in the distinctive loping rhythm of the dhol drum, which sprung from Birmingham's Punjabi community in the early 80s, mixing the agricultural folk songs of the Punjab with modern pop. This second edition of The Rough Guide to Bhangra, compiled by DJ Ritu, is another excellent introduction. It portrays a music with a real sense of cultural – even familial – continuity, with tracks from the sons and daughters of the first wave of stars mixing with more established acts. The first two tracks are restrained affairs, offering a platform for the lush vocals of Miss Pooja and Naseebo Lal. The energy inevitably increases with the arrival of crossover success Panjabi MC, but is then mellowed again by Niraj Chag's captivating mirage of vocal, tabla, guitar and piano on ‘Bangles’ – a standout track. Greats of the early scene such as Achanak and KS Bhamrah rub shoulders with the new pioneers such as production duo Partners in Rhyme, sassy vocalist Shazia Mansoor and young producer Khiza teaming up with father and daughter vocalists Joginder and Suman on the dance floor filler ‘Fight the Feeling’. Opening the gatefold, you discover that it includes a second CD, 20 Years of Bhangra, which is a retrospective of one of the most enduring names on the UK bhangra scene: Achanak. Curiously, this means you get their classic ‘Tut Guhia’ on both CDs – but then again, it more than stands up to repeated listening.