Popular Punjabi music and its impact on audience: Some empirical findings on the basis of age and gender

Pages: 557-562
Kiranbir Kaur (Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh)

The themes in popular music changed drastically over the last decade. One of the root causes of this change is the changes in socio-economic conditions of the region especially after green revolution. And these changes are reflective in the changes in popular culture and ethos of Punjab. The breakdown of traditional self-identity and community relations are mirrored in the themes of recent Punjabi songs. The new themes in songs reflects the cultural shift in Punjab. Earlier there were songs on birth and marriage, love, village lifestyle, songs of war and bravery, and songs glorifying legendary heroes of the past. But now these themes are replaced by new ones, pop music industry providing entirely new themes to its new audience because the ethos of traditional culture is becoming irrelevant to youth. The lyrics of last decade songs are become more explicit in their references to drugs, guns and violence, brands, celebration of Jatt dominance, and objectification of women. The present study explore the relationship of this music as a cultural commodity and its consumption by audience/ viewer ship.