Diljit Dosanjh review – bhangra and beats ignite an arena-sized Punjabi party | Music
Describing actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh as a trailblazer is no act of hyperbole: after 13 studio albums and more than 40 singles, very few south Asian artists have crossed over into the global mainstream like he has. In 2023 he became the first Punjabi artist to perform at Coachella, and earlier this year the first date in his Dil-Luminati tour, in Vancouver, was the largest-ever Punjabi music concert outside of India.
In Glasgow, he makes a suitably over-the-top entrance. A film with colourful clips of Dosanjh in various terrains play under his meditative voiceover in Punjabi. Words flash across the screen as an AI-sounding voice takes over, asking us to ready ourselves, before another introduces the man in question: “He is born to shine, a rockstar, a hero, a mystic”. It’s a lot, but ends up being justified by the ensuing spectacle.
Military-like men in black get into formation as Dosanjh rises from beneath the stage and kicks off with Goat, the title song from his 2020 album. He ends up on a raised platform as if conducting the immense pyrotechnics and streamers on display, and is flanked by yet more impressively high-energy bhangra dancers. Phones light every inch of the Hydro, the crowd desperate to capture every flame, puff of smoke and laser that illuminates him.
Dosanjh’s skill is in dynamically merging traditional and contemporary cultures. That bhangra choreography is paired with Punjabi rhythms and folk instruments such as the dhol – but there’s also western trap beats and synthwave touches. It speaks to the breadth of his clearly multi-generational audience, and he converses with them in Punjabi, often expressing his gratitude. It’s returned via huge singalong moments during songs such as the sensual Peaches and insanely catchy Hass Hass featuring Sia, whose animated head pops up on the screen behind.
In the production’s second half – the audience unfazed by a 30-minute intermission – Dosanjh swaps out his red kurta for jeans and a black tank top, to rip through fan favourites such as Lemonade, Lover and Patiala Peg. Those who weren’t on their feet in the first half certainly are now. From the gentle vulnerability of tracks such as Ikk Kudi, which show off Dosanjh’s soulful vocals and his roots in devotional music, to the full-on Bollywood party vibes of Choli Ke Peeche, there are no dull moments in his two hours on stage. He makes the Dil-Luminati tour such an overwhelmingly joyful celebration – of culture, global exchange and the power of community.
