Remembering Daytimers - the secret South Asian day raves of the ‘80s and ‘90s

DJ Ritu at a Daytimer event in the early ‘90s - collected by Mira Makadia for the Museum of Youth Culture

Words by Safiya Bashir, edited by Shayma Bakht

I thought I knew about most of the major underground rave cultures in the Western world. I’d read about the legacy left by Hacieda - an iconic Manchester nightclub, and the growth of ‘Madchester’, which dominated the musical scene of the North West in the 1980s. The documentary, Paris is Burning, proved that ballroom subculture could carve a safe space for African American and Hispanic gay men, as well as transgender women and drag queens in New York. But, despite my base knowledge, no one told me about Daytimers - the vibrant Bhangra-and-bass underground raves held by South Asians in the UK.

Daytimer events were attended by thousands of Desi youth growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s. They were a part of a massive cultural movement in Britain, yet somehow this subculture remains largely undocumented. Despite this erasure from mainstream history, these events, which were also dubbed the Bhangra Do’s by some, became a staple in UK rave culture.

Every Wednesday afternoon, dark clubrooms across Northern England and West London were filled with the colours of the Desi diaspora. The movement was a pivotal part of our recent history: it gave way to new identities, it helped us claim a space, and produced a new generation of world-class DJs.

Sabah*, who promoted and attended the parties as a teen during the 90s, told me: “We would go to college in our traditional Salwar Kameez, then at Wednesday lunchtime we would get dressed into western clothes in the toilets, do our makeup and head to the hall.”

Sabah laughed, “Our parents thought we had been at the library, it was like a secret club for us all. When we got back home for dinner we were always buzzing! We were on such a high and just prayed our parents wouldn't notice the wiped-off eyeshadow.”

It was only while working on my podcast, RepresentAsian, that I came across these historical parties. And, what struck me most about the Daytimer events wasn’t the pivotal role it had for South Asian representation in the music industry - but the even greater importance it had for female empowerment in South Asian communities.

Popular culture portrays South Asian women as alien to western culture, repressed and subservient to a patriarchal system. In any space, there tends to be an absence of female-led narratives, but this is especially true in underground rave scenes. But between 2pm and 6pm, the Daytime raves created a new space for first-generation immigrant women. Through their attendance, they were able to explore their British/Desi identities on the dancefloor in a safe and trusting community space.

Sabah explained: “The Daytimer parties symbolised some kind of independence and freedom. It wasn't just about going out, it was about doing something that we really wanted to do collectively.

South Asian youth attending an underground rave captured by the BBC, 1988

“The events were a declaration for young women to be seen. It was a way for us to say that actually we do have a voice, we do have desires, we do want to mix with others. As a generation, we needed our own identity. We needed kinship with people and it was our way of meeting people.”

Young South Asian women found themselves caught between two polarising worlds. They were marginalised and stereotyped by others, while also having to balance their parents’ cultural expectations with their British identity. The Daytimers challenged these stereotypes and pushed parental boundaries - creating a new culture and identity that was on their own terms.

It also wasn’t uncommon to see women behind the decks - the movement gave way to a new generation of South Asian DJs. Women like DJ Radical Sista and DJ Ritu were among many other artists that emerged from these underground rave scenes. Many went on to make a name for themselves in the mainstream, male-dominated industry.

According to Sabah, the events were liberating for many young South Asian women across the UK, who were able to actualise their interpretation of what it meant to be a British Asian woman away from their parents.

Though Daytimers was a revolutionary movement, it came to an end in the mid-90s. The need for a solely South Asian space became less necessary because by the ‘00s, many felt more accepted into mainstream British society.

For Sabah, these nights will always be remembered with fondness. She says, “My memories of Daytimers have always been filled with lots of laughter and dancing. I still love bhangra music, it will always put me in a good mood.”

However, for others the memory of these nights will be filled with shame. Sabah tells AZEEMA this iconic time in her life will always be considered taboo by some.

“Isn’t that sad?” She says. “We’re depriving our own identity and deleting our history - but we were always made to feel like we were committing a sin.”

I want to take this opportunity to celebrate Sabah and all those involved in the Daytimers movement. You put Desi womxn DJs on the map, bhangra music in the top charts, and created a new identity for British Asian women celebrating both Desi and British culture.

*Sabah has been given a Pseudonym to protect her identity

The Daytimers scene has seen a huge revival in the last few years - Especially with the work of UK based DJ collective ‘Daytimers’ celebrating South Asian sounds through events and mixes.