Leicester

Bhangra in Leicester came here for refuge, not merely for work – as was often the case in most other UK cities. In the 1970s Leicester became home to over twenty thousand “twice migrants” – those who had left India for Kenya, Uganda or Malawi in the 1950s, and then fled Africa for Great Britain twenty years later. The Indian presence in Leicester goes back much further than this, however. The Mander family for example came to Britain in 1955, and after five years employment at a rubber factory in Southall, London, they moved to Leicester. Here they worked at the Russells and Richards Foundry while raising funds to move into textiles - the goal for many business-minded Asians who had settled here. After many years of toil the Manders and others, including the Shonki family from East Africa, established themselves successfully in Leicester. They put time and money into community initiatives such as the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, and when Bhangra music and dance began to take off locally they also became its patrons. In Leicester Bhangra grew up around Narborough Road, Belgrave Road, Melton Road and East Park Road in Spinnyhills. Friends Electrics and Friends Restaurant became important landmarks and took their place alongside the bustling Asian jewellery shops, Indian restaurants and boutiques of Belgrave and Melton Road. Tony Singh of Friends Electric became a successful local Bhangra entrepreneur. With his knowledge, his club and gig tickets and his music tapes people could feel a scene was developing. Belgrave Community Centre, Sabras Radio, and the Indian Queen on Melton Road were other key locations for news, tickets and get-togethers. The Indian Queen is one of the oldest Indian Restaurants in the country and - it is claimed - once visited by Shaheed Udham Singh himself. From the mid eighties onwards, Leicester's two Universities - Leicester University and De Montfort University – became favoured destinations for Asian students from across the UK, bringing a young, monied audience to shape Leicester’s Bhangra scene. The key venues for live shows in the city became Krystals (Kudos) (Creation) and De Montfort Hall, hosting Gurdas Maan, Harbhajan Maan, Hans Raj Hans and others. The student scene would drive Leiceter on to become the hub of an exciting Midlands Bhangra scene that would connect Derby and Nottingham in the East with Birmingham in the West.Our Bhangra Champion for Leicester and the East Midlands is Kash Sahota. Comments (0) Write comment Name Comment Add Comment

 

< Prev		Next >