The Coachella Festival, which is also known as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, began with a bang at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on April 14, 2023. The first of its 2023 weekends is being held from April 14-16, with headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, and Frank Ocean.
But what makes Coachella 2023 different this year is the fact that we are going to see South Asian artists like Diljit Dosanjh, Raveena Aurora, Jai Paul and B.R.E.E.D - Ritesh D'Souza and Tara Mae, and Ali Sethi take the stage by storm. Let’s take a closer look at these musicians from South Asia.
1. Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh needs no introduction. He is one of the most gifted artistes of his generation, who has impressed audiences not only with his singing but acting talent also. In 2020, he made his fans proud by entering the Social 50 chart by Billboard. Apart from appearing in several commercially successful Hindi and Punjabi-languages films, Dosanjh also has to his credit 13 studio albums, one extended play, and over 40 singles in his musical career. He is making his debut at Coachella 2023. He is also the first Punjabi language singer to perform at the festival.
2. Jai Paul
Jai Paul is also a multi-talented personality. Born and raised in England, Paul is a songwriter, record producer, and recording artist of Indian descent. He earned fame when his demo recording ‘BTSTU was leaked online, which eventually led him to sign with XL Recordings. It is going to be his first-ever live performance.
3. Raveena Aurora
Unlike Diljit Dosanjh and Jai Paul, this is not going to be Raveena Aurora’s debut at Coachella 2023. She became the first woman of Indian origin to perform at Coachella back in 2022. Known for her eccentric maximalist style of art, inspired by Bollywood and Indian culture, Aurora is expected to present a cover of a Bollywood song in her own R&B twist. Let’s wait and watch!
4. B.R.E.E.D - Ritesh D'Souza and Tara Mae
Ritesh Perpetua D’Souza aka DJ Nasha was a sensation in the ‘90s. He became popular for his Bollywood-meets-electronica tracks. However, he shifted base to Los Angeles in 2013 seeking an international stage for his music. In 2015, Ritesh became the first ever Indian to perform at Coachella along with L.A.-based classically trained pianist Tara Mae. B.R.E.E.D also made its appearance in 2022 with Raveena Aurora Aurora and is all set for the stage this year as well.
5. Ali Sethi
Ali Sethi is among South Asian artists debuting at the festival as they perform alongside international acts like BLACKPINK, Kid Laroi, Charli XCX, Labrinth, Jai Wolf, Joy Crookes, Jai Paul, Frank Ocean, and Underworld. Sethi shot to overnight fame with his popular song “Pasoori” which was the most searched song of 2022 on Google.
BBC Asian Network is starting a new show called Asian Network Trending.
The show runs for two hours every week and is made for young British Asians.
It covers the topics that matter most to them like what’s trending online, questions of identity, mental health etc.
Amber Haque and the other hosts will share the show in turns, each talking about the issues they know and care about.
The network is moving to Birmingham as part of bigger changes behind the scenes.
Speaking up isn’t always easy. This show gives young people a space where their voices can be heard. Music on the radio, sure. Bhangra, Bollywood hits, endless remixes. But real conversations about identity, family pressure, mental health? Rarely. Until now.
From 27 October, Asian Network Trending goes live every Wednesday night for two hours of speech instead of beats. The first hour dives into trending news; the second hour goes deeper into family expectations, workplace racism, LGBTQ+ issues, and mental health stigma. And it’s not just one voice. Amber Haque and other rotating presenters keep it fresh.
Young British Asians finally hearing voices that reflect their experiences and challenges Gemini AI
What exactly is Asian Network Trending?
Two shows in one, really.
First hour: The hot takes. Social media buzzing? Celebrity drama? Immigration news? Covered while it’s relevant.
Second hour: The deep dive. One topic per week, unpacked with guests and people who know what they are talking about. Mental health, dating outside culture, career pressures, unspoken hierarchies, all of it finally getting the airtime it deserves.
Head of Asian Network Ahmed Hussain said the new show was designed to give space for thoughtful and relevant conversation. “It’s a bold new space for speech, discussion and current affairs that reflects the voices, concerns and passions of British Asians today,” he said.
Why go for a rotating hosts format?
It is because you can’t sum up the “British Asian experience” with just one voice. A kid in Leicester whose family speaks Gujarati has a very different life from a Punjabi speaker in Southall and a Muslim teen’s day-to-day reality isn’t the same as a Hindu’s or Sikh’s. Then there’s money, family pressures, school, work, and everyone is navigating their own different path.
Why now? Why speech radio?
British Asians are visible, sure. Big festivals, business power, cultural moments. Yet mainstream media often treats the community like a footnote.
Music connects to heritage, yes. But it can’t talk about why your mum nags about you becoming a doctor when you want to study film. Radio forces that engagement, intimacy, and honesty.
Surveys back it up. 57% of British South Asians feel they constantly have to prove they are English. 96% say accent and name affect perception. This show is a platform for those contradictions to exist out loud.
Who’s on air and why does it matter?
Amber Haque is first up, but the rotating system means different voices each week. BBC Three and Channel 4 experience under her belt helps navigate sensitive topics without preaching.
Representation isn’t just faces. It’s who decides what stories get told, who gets to question, who sets the tone. Asian Network Trending is designed to widen that lens, not narrow it.
What topics will the show cover?
Identity and belonging: balancing Britishness and South Asian heritage.
Mental health: breaking taboos in families.
Careers: that awkward "but why?" when you mention graphic design and the side hustle your parents call a hobby.
Relationships: the 'who's their family?' interrogation and the quiet terror before saying you're gay.
Community: the aunty and her "fairness cream" comments or the gap between your life and your grandparents' world.
Challenges and stakes
British South Asians aren’t all the same. Differences in religion, language, region, and class make their experiences varied and complex. Cover one slice and you alienate the rest. Go too safe and the younger audience won’t listen. Go too risky and conservative backlash is real.
Another big challenge: resources are tight.
Speech radio costs money: producers, researchers, fact checks.
Can it sustain deep conversations without cutting corners? That is the test.
What could success look like?
Not just ratings. Real impact: young people hear themselves articulated, families spark conversations, new voices get a platform and ultimately policymakers listen. Even a single clip prompting debate online counts. The proof is in that engagement, in messy human response, not charts.
A mic, not a manifesto
This launch isn’t a cure-all. It’s a step, a loud, messy one. It hands the mic to people who mostly spoke filtered, cautious words. Let it stumble, argue, and surprise. Let it be uncomfortable. If it does that even sometimes, it has already done its job. Because for the first time, British Asian youth get to hear themselves, not through music, not as a statistic, but as real, living voices.
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