Bhangra daytimers pioneers reunite for legacy gig

In 1980s Bradford, hundreds of young people would skip school or college to see their favourite bands and DJs at nightclubs hired for the afternoon, as Bhangra music swept across the UK.

The events, known as "daytimers", were often held in secret and paved the way for the growing popularity of afternoon discos.

But for a whole generation who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, they were taboo-smashing, trailblazing spaces for proud self-expression, confidence and unity.

Now, former Bhangra DJs Moss Sheikh and Mick Chandsoor have organised a special event to honour the cultural legacy of the daytimers as part of a celebration gig on Friday.

Mick recalled how the daytimers scene started in about 1987 with small, clandestine parties on college and university campuses, but soon evolved into a major cultural revolution.

"From there it just grew and grew," he said.

For Mick and Moss, the legacy gig on Friday at the Majestic in Manningham, which was formerly The Maestro and before that the Palace, will be personal and deeply nostalgic.

"It's about celebrating the people from that era and marking the struggles that we went through," Mick said.

The event will feature performances from Bradford Bhangra legends like the band Sahara, who forged their careers in the city's underground scene before going on to huge success.

Renowned daytimers DJ Moey Hassan, who later presented Bhangra Beat on Channel 4, is also expected to attend.

The event, which starts at 18:00 BST, will also feature an exhibition showcasing an archive of Bradford's daytimers memorabilia.

Moss said it was when the original daytimers events moved into a new venue at the Palace that people realised their money-making potential - and the scene boomed.

Businessmen Javed Maher and Jimmy Dean became involved and the raves became discos, which people would travel to from across the country.

Young South Asian people from different faiths and backgrounds would gather in one room together to celebrate a shared musical heritage, Moss said, adding that this was an "absolutely important" part of the movement's legacy.

"Back in the day we had that unity, we never looked at any differences between us," he said.

For homegrown performers like Sahara, and other trailblazers like RDB and Fun-Da-Mental, the daytimers led to huge success.

"Some of these artists became international performers," said Mick.

"Bradford became known within the music industry for producing talent."

Among the global success stories was Tariq Shaikh, better known as DJ T, who grew up mixed race and said he was unsure of where he belonged until he found the daytimers.

"I was kind of in between, kind of a mashup," he said.

"Music helped me find where I was going", he said, adding that it took him across genres, countries, and generations.

"I've DJ'ed abroad, in Greece, Spain, Miami, all these places. But it really all started in Bradford."

Rashad Khan, meanwhile, ed the scene in 1999.

"I was like this lost little boy, you know, didn't know what I was doing with my life," he said.

"I got involved with a few different promoters at the time who I just met and they took a shine to me and then handed me a couple of flyers and said 'there you go, start promoting our shows'."

He recalled handing flyers to musicians like RDB before he knew who they were.

"They were taking the mickey out of me because I was a young kid," he recalled fondly.

Moss, a Bhangra DJ who also travelled the world, eventually came home to Bradford and now works with young people.

He said the legacy event was about honouring the people who were part of the "foundations" of the scene but are no longer here, and about preserving their cultural contributions for future generations.

"These last few years, Mick and myself have had some close friends away, people from the scene," he said.

"This is part of their story that was left untold. We want to tell that story."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.