Tiger Beats Elephant Grooves

South Asian music, often reduced in the Western imagination to Hindustani classical and Bollywood, is far more diverse and dynamic. The Subcontinent—spanning India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan—boasts a rich cultural history and a vast array of musical traditions shaped by its ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity.

With the rise of digital music production and the internet in the 21st century, South Asian sounds have merged with global genres like jazz, hip-hop, pop, rock, and electronic dance music, creating innovative sonic hybrids. Indian film music, too, extends beyond Bollywood, with Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema pioneering groundbreaking fusions of vernacular folk traditions and global influences.

Beyond the Subcontinent, the South Asian diaspora—from the Caribbean and Mauritius to Malaysia, Singapore, UK, Australia, and beyond—continues to expand these musical landscapes.

The first hour of Tiger Beats Elephant Grooves (TBEG) spotlights bands, ensembles, and vocalists, while the second hour explores the rise of hip-hop and DJ cultures in the region. Join us on Saturday afternoons for two hours of South Asian music in all its rich diversity.

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