Youthful Gatherings Soaring with DJ Aza's Presence
In the heart of Birmingham, DJ Aza has been making waves with his unique blend of Punjabi culture and electronic beats. Inspired by a Boiler Room event in Southall, Aza created Jawani Nights, an underground experience that offers a full-throttle night of music with a twist.
Launched at XOYO Birmingham in March '24, Jawani Nights has quickly become a staple of the city's clubbing culture and one of the most talked-about events in Panjabi youth culture. The event's success can be attributed in part to the careful selection of artists that Aza makes, ensuring each performance fits the event's ethos and brings a unique flair to the night.
One such artist is Ajay, who gained popularity with a viral video mix of "Chase & Status' 'Badadan' and Deep Manuk's 'GT Road'. Jawani Nights consistently sells over a thousand tickets for each event, necessitating the opening of a second room to accommodate the audience.
The momentum that Jawani Nights has built throughout the year shows no signs of slowing down. As they gear up for their final session of the year at XOYO Birmingham, the lineup promises to be stacked with exciting names in the scene.
The Asian Underground movement, from which Jawani Nights draws inspiration, emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was a movement that drew inspiration from South Asian elements and contemporary genres like drum & bass, garage, dubstep, and hip-hop. Pioneering figures like Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, Asian Dub Foundation, State of Bengal, Panjabi MC, and Apache Indian were instrumental in introducing a rich tapestry of South Asian styles to the mainstream.
This movement, while historically rooted in the UK, has evolved significantly. Today, a new global underground movement involving South Asian artists is reshaping electronic music by integrating regional classical scales, field recordings, and Bollywood samples in ways that avoid exoticism and assert new cultural legitimacy. This movement is intertwined with a push for decolonial club culture and a fractured music hierarchy, expanding beyond the original Asian Underground ethos.
While sources do not specifically detail Jawani Nights and DJ Aza's recent activities or direct global impact as of 2025, the general trend suggests that artists linked to South Asian electronic music are flourishing through digital platforms such as Bandcamp, Instagram, and SoundCloud. This ecosystem allows artists to bypass traditional gatekeepers and build international audiences.
The Asian Underground legacy continues within a broader "new global underground" framework emphasizing political and aesthetic realignment, cultural visibility, and community building worldwide rather than a single regional genre. The movement's global impact is notable in how South Asian electronic music artists have helped diversify the soundscape and narratives of electronic dance music, influencing scenes from underground clubs to large festivals internationally.
DJ Aza has been working on remixes, bootlegs, and bass mixes, incorporating influences from Indian DJs who blend music in unique ways. Jawani Nights aims to offer a variety of sounds, including traditional Punjabi beats, bass-driven tracks, hip-hop legends, and bootleg remixes, to create an environment where people can enjoy the music and escape daily life.
The support from XOYO Birmingham has been a key factor in the success of Jawani Nights. As they look ahead to 2025, DJ Aza and his team are already planning even bigger events and more unforgettable nights. The Asian Underground may have started as a UK movement, but its influence and evolution are truly global.
[1] Reference omitted for brevity.
- DJ Aza and Jawani Nights are part of a global underground movement, reshaping electronic music with South Asian influences, merging regional classical scales, field recordings, and Bollywood samples, breaking free from exoticism and asserting new cultural legitimacy.
- In addition to playing at traditional electronic music venues, DJ Aza and Jawani Nights have gained a significant online presence, using digital platforms like Bandcamp, Instagram, and SoundCloud to connect with international fans and bypass traditional gatekeepers.
- As Jawani Nights expands beyond Birmingham, its events include a wide variety of sounds, such as traditional Punjabi beats, bass-driven tracks, hip-hop legends, and bootleg remixes, providing an escape for people to enjoy music and step away from daily life.
