‘Punjabi Wave’ Music Hits the Juno Awards Stage

For many watching the Juno Awards on Sunday, the first few lines of Karan Aujla’s upbeat love ballad were probably their first introduction to Punjabi music.

But Mr. Aujla’s energetic performance at the show in Halifax, a marquee event in the Canadian music industry, inspired even the timid sections of the crowd — for whom the sound and lyrics were something entirely new — to boisterous enthusiasm, said Baldeep Randhawa, a talent buyer and promoter at the entertainment company Live Nation.

“He won everybody over by the end,” Mr. Randhawa, who was in the Juno audience, told me. “The cheers after his set were one of the loudest of the night.”

Mr. Aujla, 27, immigrated to Canada 10 years ago to live with his sisters after his parents had died, and he worked odd jobs before committing to a career in music. His music has bubbled to the top of what some industry watchers are calling the “Punjabi wave,” a cohort of artists who are blending South Asian sounds with influences from rap and hip-hop, and collaborating with Western stars to reach new audiences.

On Sunday, he became the first Punjabi artist to win at the Junos, taking home the Fan Choice Award.

The moment is part of a “ripple effect” of South Asian artists who are breaking through in Western markets, said Neesha Hothi, marketing director of the Juno host committee in Vancouver, where the awards show, adjudicated by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, will be held next year. She pointed to two other milestones last year involving Punjabi artists: AP Dhillon became the first to perform at the Junos, and Diljit Dosanjh was the first to take the stage at the Coachella festival.

It mirrors similar trajectories of Latin and K-Pop artists who rose to international stardom and became cross-cultural hits, she told me.

“We are starting to reflect the diversity of our country, and of the various styles of music and arts and culture that everyone appreciates,” Ms. Hothi said.

Mr. Aujla called me from Vancouver on Friday, and we spoke about what the Junos experience meant to him.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Vjosa Isai: Your performance at the Junos might be the first time that some Canadian music fans have ever heard a Punjabi track. How does it feel to think about that?

Karan Aujla: It’s a blessing. Coming from being born in Punjab, and then moving to Canada, and then performing at the Junos, was such a blessing. I still have goose bumps every time I think about it. I’ve probably watched my own performance like 1,000 times.

What was your favorite moment of that performance?

When the song ended and everybody was applauding. I honestly didn’t want it to end. I felt I had one more track to perform.

You had a historic Fan Choice Award win, and it’s an award you share with Canadian artists like Avril Lavigne, Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber. What was it like to receive that endorsement from fans?

That was a big one for me. As soon as I entered the venue, I was more focused on my performance. I didn’t even know if I’d be winning this award. I was going to be happy anyway, but I didn’t have in the back of my head, like, ‘OK, I’m here to win this award.’ But when they announced my name and I got up — that moment, I’ll remember for the rest of my life. It was amazing.

What’s special about this Canadian brand of Punjabi music?

Canada has played a big role in my career. Combining the Canadian and Punjabi sounds together, it creates this different genre that we didn’t know we would end up with. My last album, “Making Memories,” combines American, Canadian and all these other sounds with folk Punjabi music.

You once worked as a longshoreman. How old were you when you did that job?

I was 19. I was still doing music, but writing mostly for other people. I had a couple of tracks out in my own voice. That job was great for my career, and my sisters thought it would be good for me and my future, but they didn’t know what I was doing about music. I went to that job for three months. There were a lot of Punjabis working there, so they started recognizing me slowly, and they knew that I was into music. But my music didn’t grow as much. I had to just focus on one thing.

Music can be a full-time job, after all. Do you feel supported by the Canadian music industry?

Oh yes, 100 percent. Canada gave me lots of support. Maybe in the future I’ll be doing collaborations with some Canadian artists, too.

Some are calling this moment in Punjabi music the “Punjabi wave.” What does that mean to you?

I’m just happy I’m a part of it, and that I’m the one that brought it to this level, and a couple of other Punjabi artists who are working on the same thing. We’re just doing it for the culture, and I feel like it’s all coming together now. It’s great to witness that.

What’s next for you?

You’re just going to have to wait and see what I’ve been working on for the last eight or nine months. And even for the next few months, I’ll be in the studio, locked up and writing tracks. I’m very excited.