The ongoing 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, hosted in California, made history this year by having the most diverse line-up in its 22-year-long legacy.
With headliners like Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean, and BLACKPINK, the music festival will feature six artists of South Asian descent – the highest number in its history.
The line-up included Indian singer, actor and producer Diljit Dosanjh, Pakistani singer, songwriter and composer Ali Sethi, British-Indian record producer Jai Paul, Bangladeshi-American electronic music producer Jai Wolf, British-Bangladeshi singer-songwriter Joy Crookes, as well as Charlie XCX, a singer and songwriter of Scottish and Indian descent.4
The festival is held annually in the Coachella Valley in Indio, California. It is one of the most profitable music and arts events globally. This year, it is being held between 14 April and 23 April.
Here's South Asia's line-up for Coachella 2023, which not only set the stage on fire, but marked another milestone in the community's progress.
Diljit Dosanjh
Dosanjh made history by becoming the first Punjabi artist to perform at Coachella. Born in Dosanjh Kalan, India, he released his first album titled Ishq Da Uda Ada in 2003, after which he started working in Bollywood and Punjabi films.
Following the release of his album G.O.A.T in 2020, he entered Billboard’s Top 50 Social chart. The following year, his twelfth studio album MoonChild Era earned him 32nd on the Billboard Canadian albums chart, making him the first Indian artist to have three albums on the Billboard charts.
Dosanjh's high-octane performance was met with an incredible reaction as South Asians from across the state gathered to watch the icon performed, describing it as a "historic moment."
Bollywood actors and popular Indian musicians like Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Badshah, Arjun Rampal and Alia Bhatt took to various social media platforms, expressing their pride.
Ali Sethi
Pakistani singer, songwriter and composer Ali Sethi is the second Pakistani artist to perform at Coachella. The breakthrough moment in his career came with the release of his song Pasoori on Coke Studio’s YouTube music series, which recently recorded 500 million views. It was the most searched song on Google in 2022.
He became the second Pakistani singer to headline Coachella and as he took to center-stage, alongside Indian American rapper Raja Kumari, he said, "What we can’t do over there we can do over here…all kinds of forbidden love represented here today."
Born to award-winning journalists Najam Sethi and Jugni Mohsin, Sethi started his career in music in a 2012 film titled The Reluctant Fundamentalist. His music features a blend of classical Hindustani ragas with Western musical influences.
Jai Paul
Jai Paul is a British songwriter, record producer and recording artist who performed his music live for the first time this year at Coachella. Almost a decade ago, the Londoner released two demos, BTSTU and Jasmine, with the former being sampled by both Drake and Beyonce.
His unique sound was a blend of R&B, electronica and indie rock. Following the leak of an unfinished album, Paul withdrew from music and the public eye, only to resurface this year to perform his music at Coachella’s Mojave stage.
Coachella 2023 dismissed the narrative that Jai Paul's popularity has diminished after he virtually disappeared from the public eye. Even though he released only three singles in 12 years, he was seen as one of the most iconic performances of the festival.
Jai Wolf
Sajeeb Saha, who goes by the stage-name Jai Wolf, is a music producer based in New York. Born in Bangladesh in 1991, he moved to Long Island, New York, with his parents.
He started producing electronic music in 2011, which resulted in him gaining popularity within the online music community. His biggest hits include Indian Summer, Like It’s Over and Starlight. This year, he debuted his brand new live show at Coachella’s Sahara stage.
Joy Crookes
Born to a Bangladeshi mother and an Irish father, Jay Crookes’ music reflects her South Asian identity, relationships and childhood in South London.
Her highly acclaimed debut album, released in 2021, titled Skin landed her in a top five position on the UK music charts. She was nominated at the Brit Awards in 2020 in the Rising Star category. This is the first time that Joy Crookes will take the Coachella stage.
Charlie XCX
Going by the stage name Charlie XCX, Charlie Emma Aitchison is a British singer and songwriter. Experimenting in the genres of pop, electro-pop and dance-pop, she gained global recognition for her hit songs like Boom Clap and Boys.
She initially rose to popularity with her hit collaboration with Icona Pop titled I Don’t Care in 2012. She took the Coachella stage for the first time this year on April 15, and also brought out fellow collaborator Troye
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