Features
A guide to Mixmag's South Asian Series
Check out all the features published during out South Asian Series
Welcome to Mixmag's South Asian Series.
On September 6 we launched an editorial series dedicated to South Asian artists, scenes, histories and issues, guest edited by Nabihah Iqbal and guest designed by Aniruddh Mehta.
Our South Asian Series is intended to spotlight the enormous impact of a community that has also been unfairly overlooked and underrepresented by ourselves and the wider media for too long, and act as a launchpad into a continuation of greater recognition for the artists and music they produce. Read our full introductory statement here.
All of the features from the South Asian Series are listed below, in order of publish date, along with a list of the journalists who wrote them.
The contributors
Guest editor:
Nabihah Iqbal is DJ, producer, musician and broadcaster and the guest editor of Mixmag's South Asian Series, follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Aniruddh Mehta is a graphic designer and the founder of Studio Bigfat, a Mumbai-based multi-disciplinary design studio. Check out Studio Bigfat's website and Instagram
Journalists (A-Z)
Aneesa Ahmed is a freelance writer, follow her on Twitter
Ciaran Thapar is a freelance writer and author of Cut Short: Youth Violence, Loss and Hope in the City, follow him on Twitter
Dhruva Balram is a freelance writer and critic, follow him on Twitter
Hark1karan is a community photographer capturing Punjabis, Sikhs and various aspects of London culture, check out his website and Instagram
Haseeb Iqbal is a writer, DJ and broadcaster and the author of Noting Voices, follow him on Instagram
Manu Ekanayake is a freelance music, clubs and culture journalist, follow him on Twitter
Ravi Ghosh is a freelance politics and culture writer, follow Ravi on Twitter
Ryan Gaur is a freelance writer and member of the Central Sauce creative collective, follow him on Twitter
Safi Bugel is a freelance writer and was interning at Mixmag at the time of our South Asian Series, follow her on Twitter
Tara Joshi is the music editor at gal-dem and a freelance writer, follow her on Twitter
Zab Mustefa is a multimedia journalist and regular contributor to Mixmag. Follow her on Twitter
The launch party
DJ Priya, Darama, Manara and Ahadadream in The Lab LDN: South Asia Series launch party
Ahead of the start of Mixmag’s South Asia Series, guest editor Nabihah Iqbal hosted a launch party in The Lab LDN
The features
Welcome to Mixmag's South Asian Series
Notes from Mixmag, Guest Editor Nabihah Iqbal, Guest Designer Naomi Ray
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How Asian Dub Foundation's stand against racism connected generations of British Asians
Zab Mustefa speaks to Asian Dub Foundation about the unifying impact of their visible fight back against racism and the stereotype-smashing lyricism of 1998 album 'Rafi's Revenge'
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Britain's first out Muslim drag queen: Asifa Lahore is a proud clubland pioneer
Safi Bugel talks to Asifa Lahore about London's queer South Asian club history and navigating DJing and performing as a disabled, Muslim trans woman
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How classic cars and soundsystems connect Southall residents to their Indian roots
Ciaran Thapar and Hark1karan spend an evening in London's 'Little India', where modified cars and dub reggae soundsystems carry messages of protest and connection to home across generations
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A potted history of the 1990s British (South) Asian Underground
Tara Joshi traces the '90s lineage of the Asian Underground movement, speaking to key figures DJ Ritu, Sweety Kapoor and Nitin Sawhney
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Abhi The Nomad has found home
Ryan Gaur talks to Abhi The Nomad about growing more comfortable with his sound and identity, rap idols, hating social media and loving video games
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10 South Asian diaspora dance music collectives you need to know
Safi Bugel profiles the collectives representing South Asian sounds and artists across the world
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A deep dive into South Asian electronic music
Dhruva Balram presents some of the finest sounds coming out of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
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“We exist in more than one narrative”: Sarathy Korwar & Idris Rahman in conversation
Ravi Ghosh hosts a conversation between Sarathy Korwar and Idris Rahman, discussing the influence of South Asian classical sounds on contemporary music and the pros and cons of scenes
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Exploring identity: What does it mean to be a South Asian in the UK in 2021?
Dhruva Balram reflects on the cultural multitudes within the South Asian diaspora, speaking to artists Yung Singh, DEBONAIR, Sarathy Korwar, anu and Surya Sen
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A short history of boundary-breaking South Asians in the UK
Haseeb Iqbal spotlights the underreported impact of influential South Asian pioneers in the UK
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What Do Your Parents Think?: 4 South Asian DJs share their family's reception to a music career
Manu Ekanayake speaks to four DJs - and two parents - about how pursuing musical interests has been received by their respective families
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What it's like to go clubbing as a British South Asian person
Across dealings with bouncers, bar staff, promoters, sound engineers and green rooms, Manu Ekanayake examines how South Asian identity affects DJs and clubbers' experience of nightlife
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How daytime raves introduced clubbing to a generation of young British South Asians
Safi Bugel explores the history of daytime rave culture and its seismic impact on British South Asian youths in the 1980s and '90s
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Riz Ahmed: “Home is a place that we're creating through our art”
Nabihah Iqbal talks to actor and musician Riz Ahmed about growing up in London, ‘90s daytime rave culture and fighting Muslim stereotypes
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How clubbing is helping young British South Asians explore their creativity and identity
Aneesa Ahmed explores the complex relationship bi-cultural young people have with nightlife, and how student societies are connecting South Asian culture and clubbing
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37 South Asian artists share what music means to them
Our guest editor Nabihah Iqbal spoke to a cross-section of artists from the South Asian community about their musical memories and insights
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Sadiq Khan: “Music crosses barriers of race, religion, class and postcode like nothing else can”
Nabihah Iqbal talks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan about how London has shaped his life and his connection with the city's music scene
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