Sahotas were a

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

based Bhangra/

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

/ World music band. The band, started in Bilston, Wolverhampton in the mid-1980s, had a line-up of five brothers. They have released music in both

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and Punjabi. The lead singer was Surj Sahota, and the music director/producer was

Mukhtar Sahota Mukhtar Sahota is a British Punjabi music composer and producer, associated with the group Sahotas. After the 2004 tsunami in Asia and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administer ...

. The band's music is very different from conventional Punjabi music, combining the Bhangra genre with pop,

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

and rock, focusing on vocal styles and sounds. This transfusion occurred during the apex of Bhangra Music in the 1980s and 1990s when there was an abundance of Live British Asian Music across the United Kingdom; and when British Asian Music sought to be recognised by the mainstream music industry. The Sahotas were at the forefront of seeking this recognition, performing live on

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

's '' Surprise, Surprise'', ''

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...

'', '' 8:15 from Manchester'' and '' Eggs 'n' Baker''. The Sahotas also joined

Apache Indian Steven Kapur (born 11 May 1967), known by the stage name Apache Indian, is a British singer-songwriter and reggae DJ. He had a series of hits during the 1990s. He is best known in the UK for the song "Boom Shack-A-Lak", which reached the top ...

on Carton TV's ''Soul Music'' and performed the soulful spiritual song "Urdaas" (''Prayer''). The band were signed by

Miles Copeland III Miles Axe Copeland III (born May 2, 1944) is an American music and entertainment executive and former manager of The Police. Copeland later managed Sting's musical and acting career. In 1979, Copeland founded the I.R.S. Records label, producin ...

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

, who at the time was

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

's Manager. The single "Out of Reach" and the album ''Right Time'' reached the UK Top 100, the first for a British Asian artist. This was closely followed by a nationwide tour with reggae band

Aswad Aswad are a British reggae group, noted for adding strong R&B and soul influences to the reggae sound. They have been performing since the mid-1970s, having released a total of 21 albums. Their UK hit singles include the number one "Don't Tur ...

. Sahotas toured in Africa, India, Pakistan, the US, Canada and Europe. Their hit songs include "Sahota Show Te Jake", "Hass Hogia", "Mahi Di Udeek", "Gal Bangaee", "Akhian Samaal", "Dang Ditha", "Sach", "Ajaa Ajaa Ajaa", "Dil Wich Tu Vasdi" and "Heerie". The Sahotas' accolades include 'Best Band', 'Best Live Band' and 'Band of the Millennium' in the UK Bhangra Music industry. They were awarded platinum and gold discs for album sales. The band's last release was their 7th bhangra album, ''Revolution'' in 2001; this album was a compilation of old hits released purely for the Indian and Pakistani music market. Subsequently, the music producer from the band

released a number of solo albums. Surj Sahota has worked with the band B21, Swedish Reggae band

Urban Tribe A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, poli ...

,Urban Tribe
and

Basil Gabbidon Basil Glendon Gabbidon (born 29 October 1955) is a British Jamaican guitarist / vocalist and a founding member of the reggae band Steel Pulse. Gabbidon lives in Birmingham, England, and recorded the album ''Reggae Rockz'' with Paul Beckford (ba ...

, the founder of

Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ron ...

Discography

;Albums ;Extended plays ;Singles

References

External links

* World Music Central page on Sahotas
/span>
Official Sahotas Website

Official Website: Surj Sahota of the Sahotas
Decade release date 1 January 1999 https://www.amazon.com/Decade-Sahotas/dp/B0019C99I2?keywords=decade+The+Sahotas&qid=1536770221&sr=8-1-spell&ref=mp_s_a_1_1 {{Authority control Bhangra (music) musical groups Wolverhampton Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups from West Midlands (county)

Discography

See also

References

External links