Toppa Top 10: Ten Dancehall Songs To Ram A Desi Dancefloor

Words by DJ Rekha—

DJ Rekha is the woman responsible for popularizing the South Asian diasporic sound called bhangra in the US, holding down the famed Basement Bhangra party at New York’s SOBs for going on a decade and a half. Dancehall, always a crowd pleaser at Indian parties and an influence for many a bhangra artist and producer, is a big part of her sets, whether she’s warming up for Punjabi rappers or spinning at Lincoln Center. Here, she breaks down the 10 biggest dancehall songs at Desi parties, from ’90s classics like “Heads High” and “Murder She Wrote” to more recent fare like “Dance with You” featuring British-Indian superstar Jay Sean. And, if you’re in New York this Friday, be sure to check her Bhangra + Bass event (A Dancehall and Punjabi Soundclash!) featuring the US debut of Pakistani-Canadian dancehall artist Roach Killa, and our own Eddie STATS on the decks.

10. Raghav, “Angel Eyes”

That’s my starting point. Dancehall is on the front of my brain. Of course I’m trying to Bhangra-fy it. I just love to play dancehall. This was off of Raghav’s debut album that sold millions. It wasn’t the most famous song right away but it gained life slowly. We definitely play it at Basement Bhangra. A lot of these songs are good to vibe the night up early on. “Angel Eyes” has Hindi lyrics. If we have a Desi crowd, it connects with them.

9./8./7. Cutty Ranks, “Limb by Limb”/Terror Fabulous feat. Nadine Sutherland, “Action”/Nadine Sutherland and Buju Banton, “Wicked Dickie”

Those are all on the same Action riddim. I associate them with my time in college. We’d hear them at college parties and at soca dance parties and when Indian parties started happening in the early 90s, it was definitely a big part of the set. One would come on and they would all be nicely blended into each other.

6. Rishi Rich Project feat. Jay Sean and Juggy D, “Dance With You (Nache Tere Naal)”

This is by the Rishi Rich Project but on that is Jay Sean who is now a bubblegum pop star and Juggy D. It was typical of one type of collaboration where one dude sings in Punjabi and one dude takes on the hype. The Diwali Riddim was at its peak, and “Pon De Replay” might have even been out and they took their stab at it. (The video version features the more hip-hop original mix, but you can download the Diwali Dancehall remix here.)

5. Apache Indian, “Chok There”

Apache Indian is definitely credible as a dancehall MC but he has this Punjabi background. The most critical point of the song is when he says thora (a little) coke nal (with whiskey). That’s the “raise your glasses” part of the song. “Chok There” is a bhangra chant. To say “chok there” is to say lift up. It’s a shortening of of the phrase, “to lift up the floor boards.” it’s the most used phrase in bhangra music. It’s kind of like saying raise the roof except the inverse.

4. Nina Sky, “Move Ya Body”

It’s on the Coolie Dance riddim. That riddim was used by Tigerstyle and they made a song called “Girl From Pakistan.” It’s a really good danceable riddim. Any song that has advice on what to do is always a winner because a lot of Bollywood songs do that. That’s true across all genres, especially If you think of soca. People need instructions. It’s a DJ trick—if you feel like you’re losing the crowd or they need a lift, play anything that gives them a directive.

3. Mr. Vegas, “Heads High (Remix)”

“Heads High” is a great party joint. The remix facilitated the “Murder She Wrote” mega mix. You can play Bam Bam and then you can slip in “Angel Eyes” and all of that goes together. I would say his vocals when he says; “Kill em with the no” it has a more melodic feel than other dancehall songs.

2. Sean Paul, “Get Busy”

Indian people be loving Sean Paul like nobody’s business. I just think his songs are really danceable, and very remixed by Indian DJs. They’ll take one of his riddims like “Get Busy.” There’s a lot of bhangra versions of that song.

1. Chaka Demus and Pliers, “Murder She Wrote”

The Bam Bam riddim in general gets a lot of response from Desi crowds, but “Murder She Wrote” is the song that everyone knows and reacts to the most. I went to a Sony Entertainment Television India awards show and one of the guest artists was Chaka Demus and Pliers. Just to show the power of the song. At a completely South Indian event shown around the world, to have Chaka Demus and Pliers perform and have the whole room dancing is a testament to their reach within the community