DJ Rekha Papers

Born in London in 1971, DJ Rekha (Rekha Malhotra) is a queer DJ, producer, curator, and activist based in New York City. As a teenager, DJ Rekha discovered their passion for bhangra – folk music and dance of the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, later popularized into a modern sound combining folk with Western dance music. While studying at Queens College, DJ Rekha entered the club scene promoting parties and spinning their own records. Their DJ sets took on a dynamic, globally informed sound, incorporating dub, hip-hop, and South Asian diasporic dance music.

In 1997, they founded Basement Bhangra, one of NYC’s longest-running club nights that took place on the first Thursday of every month for twenty consecutive years until 2017 at Sounds of Brazil (S.O.B.’s) from 1997-2012 and 2017 on Varick Street in Lower Manhattan, and at Le Poisson Rouge from 2012-2017, with larger bonus events at Irving Plaza, the Roxy, and Hammerstein Ballroom. The event started with dance lessons before shifting to a dance party. Basement Bhangra was an immediate success, capturing the attention of diverse audiences and international press.

Not only did Basement Bhangra introduce Punjabi music to New York City’s club scene, but it also provided a space for emerging South Asian American artists to establish their own unique sound and aesthetic. Over its twenty-year run, the club night raised money for several community organizations including Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, South Asians Against Police Brutality, and Female Survivors of Acid Burns. With the success of Basement Bhangra, DJ Rekha released their first album, DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra, in 2007. It weaves together various sonic influences spanning Punjabi folk music to dance music from the US, UK, and Jamaica. Many of the flyers promoting the night were done in collaboration with Chiraag Bhakta.

DJ Rekha also created several other themed club nights, and worked in New York theatre with Sarah Jones and the New Group, public radio, and created original music productions and remixes. They curated and performed at several events with Central Park SummerStage and other NYC cultural institutions.

The DJ Rekha Papers contains ephemera, business and administrative records, correspondence, and photographic material.

The DJ Rekha Papers are in transfer to the NYU Fales Library & Special Collections. A finding aid for the collection is in process.

Image: Crop of DJ Rekha Presents: Basement Bhangra CD cover, 2007.