From Diljit Dosanjh to Ali Sethi, this year’s Coachella line up went the South Asian way

After years of deliberation and non-action, the South Asian community across the world is finally getting the recognition it deserves. From winning big at the Oscars, with Natu Natu and Elephant Whisperers to being a part of the record-breaking and iconic Coachella line up—South Asian talent is being represented and revered in ways more than one and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The much-awaited and adored California-based music festival, Coachella, took place over the weekend, and we couldn’t be prouder. Dressed in a black tamba and kurta and paired with a kundal, (much unlike the boho-chic vibes that most people go for), Diljit Dosanjh made history by becoming the first ever Punjabi singer, to perform at the Coachella Valley Arts and Music festival. Needless to say, the Punjabi munda set the stage on fire and then some more. Even DJ Diplo was seen grooving to the singer’s hit track, Patiala Peg. Dosanjh’s high-octane performance was met with a crazy yet incredible frenzy mixed with some bhangra, as south Asians across the country flocked to the sunshine state to witness the icon. Some even described it as a “historic moment.” They’re not wrong. 

Back at home, celebrities such as Badshah, Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Rampal, and Alia Bhatt among several others took to social media to express their pride and excitement on the momentous occasion. 

But that’s not all. The Pasoori hitmaker, Ali Sethi was also part of the spectacular line up that the festival. Sethi is the second Pakistani singer to be headlining Coachella. Sethi’s performance was goosebump-invoking as he took to centre-stage, along with Indian American rapper, Raja Kumari and sang Pasoori. “I have tears in my eyes,” a fan reacted. 

Other South Asian performances included a gamut of diaspora, from Charlia XCX who is of Scottish and Indian decent and Jai Paul, a British-Indian record producer to Jai Wolf, a Bangladeshi-American music producer and Joy Crookes, a British-Bangladeshi singer. While this is not the first time that Coachella has included South Asian talent in their lineup, with Raveena Aurora and Arooj Aftab performing at the festival in 2022, this year was grander than ever before. We can hardly wait for more.