Punjabi by Nature

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Punjabi By Nature were one of the most forward-thinking bhangra groups ever to emerge from Canada, a Toronto collective that treated bhangra not as an insular cultural expression but as a wide-open, hybrid form meant for everyone. Formed in 1993 by singer–songwriter Tony Singh, the band fused Punjabi folk rhythms with hip hop, reggae, funk, and dance music at a moment when Toronto was beginning to articulate its own multicultural pop identity. Singh had recorded a rough early demo, Goonda Gardi, that year; by the time he assembled a full working lineup for a proper studio project, Punjabi By Nature had become a seven-piece multicultural ensemble built around players chosen strictly for skill, not skin colour or ethnicity—an unusual and intentional stance within the 1990s bhangra landscape.

The initial lineup brought together Raffa Dean, Paul Dhanjal, Chris Hess, Tesfa Campbell, Jason Filiatrault, and vocalists Shameema Soni and Ivana Santilli, each adding a contrasting influence. Punjabi lyrics anchored the material, but English hooks, rapped verses, and dancehall cadences pushed the sound into Toronto’s hip hop and underground dance scenes. Their vision made them a natural fit for the mid-90s Canadian “worldbeat” circuit, and they quickly found themselves on high-profile bills—including serving as the backing band for dub poet Lillian Allen at the 1994 Kumbaya Festival, one of the era’s most visible charitable music events.

In 1995 they released Jmpn for Joy on Westpark, the album that moved them from local curiosity to national breakthrough. MuchMusic rotation helped considerably, especially for their high-energy bhangra take on KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It),” a track that illustrated their mission to cross cultural lines without diluting tradition. The album’s reach extended well beyond Indo-Canadian communities, earning praise from mainstream press and landing the group a Juno nomination for Best Global Album in 1996. Throughout 1995 and 1996, their touring schedule stretched across Canadian folk festivals, jazz festivals, and club venues that embraced genre-blurring acts, positioning them as one of the most visible Canadian bhangra bands of the decade.

Their second album, Raise the Roof (1999), arrived at a more complicated moment. Though bhangra’s global profile had risen thanks to UK acts and the broader fascination with Asian Underground music, critics framed Punjabi By Nature as somewhat out of step with the new wave triggered by the international success of Cornershop’s “Brimful of Asha.” Despite a more polished production and continued stylistic range—mixing Punjabi vocals, rap interludes, and reggae flourishes—the album didn’t replicate the breakthrough impact of Jmpn for Joy. By 2000 the group had quietly wound down.

Even in their absence, Punjabi By Nature remained a touchstone for how Toronto artists could push cultural fusion without falling into tokenism. Their 2011 one-off reunion, staged for the premiere event of the Indo-Canadian hockey comedy Breakaway, underscored how foundational they had been to bridging South Asian traditions with a broader Canadian pop sensibility.

They left behind a compact discography—Goonda Gardi (1993), Jmpn for Joy (1995), Raise the Roof (1999)—but their larger influence sits in the 1990s shift toward a multicultural Toronto soundscape where bhangra, hip hop, reggae, and pop could meet on equal terms.
-Robert Williston

Lineup
Tony Singh: lead vocals, Punjabi vocals, songwriter
Raffa Dean: drums, percussion
Paul Dhanjal: vocals, percussion
Chris Hess: keyboards, programming, samples
Tesfa Campbell: bass
Jason Filiatrault: guitar
Shameema Soni: vocals
Ivana Santilli: vocals, keyboards