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       ‘Punjabi Wave’ Music Hits the Juno Awards Stage

       Karan Aujla, 27, became the first Punjabi artist to win an award at the Junos as the genre expands its fan base in Canada.

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       By Vjosa Isai

       March 30, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET

       You’re reading the Canada Letter newsletter. Backstories and analysis from our Canadian correspondents, plus a handpicked selection of our recent Canada-related coverage. Get it sent to your inbox.

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       Karan Aujla accepting the Fan’s Choice Award at the Juno Awards on Sunday in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Credit...Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press

       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.

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

       [Video: Karan Aujla performs at the Juno Awards with Ikky, a 23-year-old Punjabi music producer from Toronto.]

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       Vjosa Isai is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Toronto, where she covers news from across Canada. More about Vjosa Isai

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