A study of the transnational journeys of British Asian music and musicians in the 21st century

Abstract

How does an academic present oneself to a celebrity in an industry that values connections, glamour and money above all else? A PhD student has none of these tokens of status at her 6 disposal and is therefore in a disadvantaged position when it comes to accessing interviewees.Yet, a shared love for music and a common interest in industry developments between the researcher and the interviewee often acted as a social lubricant. This was especially true when a person like myself, an obvious outsider, expressed a passion and interest in the music that the interviewees were making. Nevertheless, being an outsider sometimes added a layer of complexity to the work. For example, there was a constant need for me to explain my academic interest in their music. Furthermore, it was impossible for me to blend in with the surroundings.On the flip side, my otherness often opened doors, and it also helped me see my positionality in a more objective light. I was constantly reminded to reflect on my "foreign" and "outsider" position, and this kept me on my toes intellectually.Chapter 1 11 II. Research questions and aimsIn order to achieve my research aims and re-evaluate the role of the British Asian music in the 21 st century and to understand how the cultural industry of Bollywood engages with South Asian diasporas in terms of music production, I proceed to explore the dynamics of the British Asian-Bollywood-Punjabi relationship. To do so my thesis is built around three key research questions and objectives that interrogate the dynamics of British Asian-Indian musical production in the 21 st century.