Sampling is a music production technique that has been used in music since the 1940s, with roots in hip-hop and electronic music. An innovative style that manipulates sound to permeate across genres, the evolution of sampling has seen the growth of a musicality that connects cultures around the world. 

Given its foundation in music diversity, it’s no surprise that South Asian sounds have become a powerful influence in contemporary sampling. In celebration of South Asian Heritage Month, beginning July 18, we explore how artists are using sampling not just as a creative tool, but as a way to honour their heritage and express their cultural identity.

Most recently, Daytimers UK, a creative collective championing South Asian artistry, brought ten producers together, allowing them to access and sample Sony Music India’s extensive catalogue to create a project that “celebrates South Asian heritage and diaspora club culture.”

Their efforts took shape in the form of their debut album, Alterations. And their first single came from producer and DJ duo Baalti, whose new EP Mela drew inspiration from West Bengal’s soundsystem culture, who delivered their cover of the Bollywood classic Tere Bina. 

Similarly, British rapper Sliime has consistently found ways to infuse his Bangladeshi heritage and multifaceted cultural identity into his work. His latest single All Types (Lilabali), samples Bengali wedding folk song Lilabali Lilabali. “Traditionally performed as an ode to a bride by her bridesmaids, the song is reinvented by Sliime, who weaves its vocal samples into a trap beat, showcasing his sharp musical style while perfectly expressing and celebrating his culture.

While definitely a rising trend, the sampling of South Asian sounds is nothing new. From Britney Spears sampling 1981 Bollywood song Tere Mere Beech Mein sung by musical legends Lata Mangeshkar and S.P. Balasubramaniam on her 2003 chart-topper Toxic,  to British icon M.I.A sampling Bappi Lahiri’s Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja from 1982 film Disco Dancer in her composition Jimmy, and British indie rock band Bicycle Bombay Club’s Feel sampling Lata Mangeshkar’s Man Dole Mera Tan Dole from 1954 film Nagin, there are several examples of musicians/composers and producers who have are fascinated by incorporating South Asian sounds into their work.

On the possible reason behind this, UK singer/songwriter and composer Akhil Sahni shares, “ The instruments, the raags, the melodies we use are so distinct to South Asian culture that foreign producers find a plethora of new opportunities to mess around with it in their production and create a sound the West hasn’t quite seen as much and definitely isn’t mainstream.” 

London-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, performer, producer, and composer Bishi Bhattacharya also credits increased accessibility for the rising popularity of sampling, saying, “With DAW’s readily available and an explosion of global DJ and sound culture, there’s been a huge uptick in sampling, down to its accessibility.” 

As South Asian music reaches new corners of the world due to the advent of social media, sampling has also become a way for artists of South Asian heritage to represent and celebrate their roots. 

For some artists like Bishi, who was classically trained in Hindustani classical vocal music, studied sitar, and grew up singing the music of Rabindranath Tagore, the infusion of their culture into their sound has been a natural progression. Speaking of the role that sampling plays in her music, she says, “I’ve actually created my own Sitar Sample pack and library for LANDR. These days, I play my instruments and manipulate textures within my instrumental performances to create sonic worlds.  I find sampling deeply inspiring, so maybe this is my call to get started again.” 

Other artists like Sahni, who aim to create a more international soul/pop sound, strive to distinguish themselves as brown/South Asian songwriters in a genre that doesn’t have many from the same cultural background. On how he would like to experiment with sampling in the future, he says, “I think using instruments and sonics I find interesting from South Asian compositions is something I enjoy blending with my sound and plan on doing in the future. Doing it with piano-based soul/pop would be so cool and expand new horizons. Further, I have plans to incorporate a host of Indian classical influences and fashion in the sonics of my future projects and live sets.”

Sampling artfully combines the charm of memory and the known with innovative new sounds, creating a distinctive and expressive musical form. What makes sampling special is how it crosses different music styles, adding a fresh touch to classic songs and keeping both the music and the artist’s identity alive and celebrated. And with sounds and sonic styles travelling the world and reaching more people, the chances of hearing samples of South Asian melodies – and seeing these identities represented more in music – only increase with each passing day.

Written by Malvika Padin

Featured image courtesy of Southasianheritagemonth.org.uk 

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}