Apache Indian's new album "Time for Change" is to be released shortly, this is the guy who sang "Make Way for the Indian", so being Indian was cool. His reggae, hip-hop and Bhangra style set the stage for other Bhangra Boys.

The new album features one of my favorite Reggae artists, Desmond Dekker along with APache doing a version of the old time number the Israelites

Apache Indian cherished his Indian heritage and his music reflects the influence of styles like Bhangra and Bollywood film music, but it was Reggae and Dancehall that truly fascinated him.His lyrics are inspired by his personal quest to define his identity in a multicultural world where tradition definitions of religion and culture have to be re-evaluated.

What is it about reggae and bhangra that blends, it is the music of two ethnicities the Black and the Brown. Reggae and Bhangra were native to the people of the Caribbean and Punjab, India. And when these two groups migrated to the UK during the post-colonial period the fusion was bound to happen. As these two groups were marginalized from white British pop music. And like Apache's site mentions Birmingham was where Reggae and Bhangra were born, since this place also had a large immigrant population. Hip-Hop, also part of the Black music culture has fused well with the Bhangra beats.

I personally like this fusion music - and a large part of the world does as well. Rishi Rich, Bally Sagoo, Panjabi MC....