Warner Music Group sign Karan Aujla and Jonita Gandhi to new music label launched for South Asian artists

The Warner Music Group announced that its Canada and India affiliates have collaborates to launch a joint venture, dubbed 91 NORTH RECORDS, to support South Asian artists.

The label has already brought on Popular Punjabi singer Karan Aujla, and Bollywood-famed Jonita Gandhi as its first signing artists.

The project will be led by celebrated Canadian rapper and singer, Ikwinder Singh, professionally known as Ikky as a creative director. Ikky has chalked up a reputation for himself with popular songs, such as Shubh’s “Baller,” Diljit Dosanjh’s “Chauffeur” and Sidhu Moose Wala’s “Bambiha Bole.”

The label held a launch event at Warner Music Canada’s offices in Toronto on Tuesday, August 22.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the blending of Indian and Western sounds into culturally impactful, innovative music,” Ikky said in a statement, adding that the new label was created to celebrate Punjabi and other South Asian artists – who already compete with musicians worldwide.

Jonita Gandhi, who was born in Delhi but raised in Brampton, said the label was a great place for artists of South Asian heritage to be represented. “There’s a lot of emerging talent from the South Asian community that’s incredible, and I think the music is starting to speak for itself,” she said.

At least 2.6 million people of South Asian ancestry reside in Canada today, Warner Music’s statement noted, adding that a new generation of artists from these communities are starting to have a massive impact in the country and internationally. “Punjabi-Canadian acts accounted for three of the top 10 tracks in India last year, according to data supplied by IFPI,” it said.

Rahat Sandhu