BBC Asian Network Future Sounds 2016 to showcase exciting new music talent

Celebrating the next generation of British Asian talent tipped for great things, the line-up will feature a range of musicians including Shide Boss, Tasha Tah, Harris Hameed, Leo Kalyan, Pak-Man and Shaker The Baker, as well as international talent, Fateh. The night will also feature some exciting artist collaborations, still to be announced.

Held at the BBC’s legendary Maida Vale Studios from 7-10pm, the showcase will be broadcast live on Asian Network, with highlights available to watch online and on BBC iPlayer from Saturday 24 September.

Hosting the evening will be Asian Network’s champions of new music, Yasser, Kan D Man & DJ Limelight.

Bobby Friction (5.30-9pm) and Yasser’s (9pm-12 midnight) shows will be broadcast live from Maida Vale studios, also including exclusive behind the scenes interviews. Now in its third year, Future Sounds is BBC Asian Network’s annual showcase of the best new British-Asian talent. Artists that have previously taken part include Grimsby-born singer-songwriter Zack Knight, Persian-British vocalist Raphaella and East End producer, Steel Banglez.

The event will take place in front of an intimate audience. There will be an audience ballot for tickets - details about how to register are available at bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork. Registration opens at 8am on Wednesday 31 August and closes on 9pm on Wednesday 14 September.

Bob Shennan, Controller of BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and Asian Network, says: “With the station achieving record RAJAR figures in the last quarter, Asian Network Future Sounds provides a real opportunity to bring new, exciting artists to a wider audience live on air and to watch on BBC iPlayer.”

Mark Strippel, Head of Programmes for BBC Asian Network, says: "Asian Network is the home of the new, bold and challenging when it comes to progressive British-Asian artists. Asian Network Future Sounds will feature brand new material and unique collaborations from under and above the radar musicians."

The artists performing are:

Shide Boss
The singer-songwriter’s sound is an original fusion of mainstream RnB with an Asian twist. Shide released his single, Women, with Zack Knight in January and has previously worked with the likes of Naughty Boy, Steel Banglez and Mutya Buena.

Fateh
The Toronto based rapper began his music career at the age of 15 and first released an album in 2012 with his hip hop collective, Zoo Babies. Following that, Fateh began to break into the Desi hip hop scene collaborating with numerous Bhangra artists and has since worked extensively with Punjabi singer and music producer, Dr Zeus.

Tasha Tah
The ‘Urban Punjabi Queen’ is a singer, songwriter and composer, fusing Western and Eastern music. Tasha’s song, Haan De Munde, landed straight into the number one spot on the world iTunes charts when it was released in late 2011.

Pak-Man & Shaker the Baker
Born in Yorkshire, but hailing from South West London, Pak-Man’s album, Legendary, reached number seven in the Hip Hop/Rap Chart on iTunes in June 2015. The rapper is well known and respected for his powerful lyrics. 

Leo Kalyan
With a sound steeped in electronica, R&B and downtempo house, Leo first came to prominence through BBC Introducing. In 2015, the singer and producer released his debut EP, Silver Linings, and earlier this year he performed at SXSW in the US.

Harris Hameed
Hailing from Leeds, the singer-songwriter appeared on BBC talent show, The Voice, in 2015. He released his debut EP, Time, in February 2016.

Anisa
The singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist is from Manchester. With a sound best described as piano-led, soulful R&B, the 23 year-old released her EP, Music, in July. Earlier this summer she was the supporting act for Brandy at the Indigo o2, London.

Future Sounds  follows in the footsteps of Asian Network Live which was held in April this year. The inaugural event featured performances from some of the biggest artists on the British-Asian and international music scenes, including Zack Knight, Naughty Boy, Badshah Fuse ODG and Kanika Kapoor.

BBC Asian Network is a national digital radio station that broadcasts to an average audience of 676,000 listeners a week, a record audience for the station. It has a strong focus on music, particularly supporting British Asian talent, news and current affairs relevant to its primary target audience of 18-34 year-old British Asians.

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