Country: England
Steven Kapur BEM (born 11 May 1967), better known by his stage name Apache Indian, is a British singer-songwriter and reggae DJ, renowned for his fusion of reggae, dancehall, and bhangra music. Born to a Punjabi Indian family in Handsworth, Birmingham—a racially diverse area with a vibrant music scene—he became involved with local sound systems in the early 1980s and began growing dreadlocks, establishing himself as a dancehall deejay. His first single, “Movie Over India” (1990), blended ragga and bhangra, gaining attention from audiences of both genres and leading to a contract with Island Records in 1992. Apache Indian pioneered a hybrid sound known as bhangragga or bhangramuffin, showcased on his 1993 debut album No Reservations, produced in Jamaica with collaborators including Simon & Diamond, Phil Chill, and Sly Dunbar. He followed this with Make Way for the Indian, featuring the hit “Boom Shack-A-Lak” and collaborations with artists such as Tim Dog. His music in the 1990s established him as a prominent figure in cross-cultural reggae and dancehall, and by 1997 he had moved on from Island Records, releasing Real People under Warner Bros. Sweden. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apache Indian continued to record and collaborate internationally. His track “Om Namaha Shivaya” appeared on the 2004 Putumayo World Music: World Reggae compilation, and in 2013 he released the album It Is What It Is, featuring the single “Celebrate” with Raghav and Jim Beanz. Beyond recording, he has contributed to music events, co-hosting the 2018 Brit Asia TV Music Awards and performing at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, solidifying his status as a globally recognized figure in reggae and cross-cultural music.
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