This isn’t just an event—it’s a vibrant celebration of South Asian music, memories, and the diasporic experience.
Step into our specially curated listening space, where the nostalgia of the classic record shop meets the contemporary spirit of New Art Exchange. Immerse yourself in the timeless beats, melodies, and vinyl artwork that have shaped generations.
On the 7th September, the East in West Archive landed in the New Art Exchange for our new pop-up experience SUNO, a day of music, storytelling and workshops.
We partnered with DUNYA to create an intimate listening experience where audiences of all ages could learn about the origins of the archive. For those who wanted to learn more, our DUNYA facilitators Raveena and Amrit led workshops on the sampling of South Asian music, and the socio-political contexts of both the original and contemporary songs.
In our first meetings with Amrit and Raveena, there was a shared excitement to examine the history of the archive, and explore the overlapping influences and boundaries of different genres. Our conversations ranged from censorship during colonial rule, the impact of partition on folk music, to the sampling of South Asian music in the late 20th as well as 21st century.
We wanted to create a space in which people of different ages, from any part of the South Asian, and South Asian diasporic community could share their story and connection to music. This inspired us to create multiple bespoke materials, including postcards, collaborative playlists and song request forms. We tapped into the legacy of Oriental Star Agencies, and the listeners of the East in West Radio show who sent in postcards and letters requesting the music they loved and wished to share with others.
Despite the storm outside, we engaged audiences from the age of 5, as well as entire families in the archive, its origins and future. The space was one of dynamic conversations about the influence of South Asian music on a global scale, the art of sampling (whether we agree with it or not), and stories about the love of music. Audiences took away a new sense of hope in the celebration and protection of their heritage for future generations.
New Art Exchange was a fantastic partner and we cannot wait to work with them again!