SiriusXM Canada Launches New South Asian Music Channel, SiriusXM Dhamaka

SiriusXM Canada is launching a new channel dedicated to South Asian music.

That makes the satellite radio company the latest in a series of Canadian music institutions to put resources behind the massive growth of South Asian music in Canada.

The new channel, SiriusXM Dhamaka, is available across North America on channel 796. The channel will play a mix of Canadian and international stars, as well as featuring exclusive artist interviews, live performances, talk programming and comedy.

It's programmed by Canadian radio host and Emmy-nominated music supervisor Raoul Juneja. Juneja previously created Canada's first South Asian music TV show, V-Mix on OMNI Television in 2011.

Over ten years later, South Asian music is one of the buzziest subjects in the Canadian industry.

Rising superstar Karan Aujla won the Junos fan choice award last year, and heads into this year's Junos with three nominations In 2024, Diljit Dosanjh made history with two Canadian stadium shows on his Dil-Luminati Tour, while artists like AR Paisley, AP Dhillon and Ikky make waves on the Canadian charts.

The Canadian industry is supporting that growth. The Junos introduced a new category for South Asian music recording for the 2025 awards, and Warner Music Canada's 91 North records, a joint venture with Warner India, has been a key source of investment in new South Asian talent.

SiriusXM Dhamaka provides a new avenue for that expansion, promising to showcase Hindi, Punjabi, Pakistani, South Indian,Bengali and West Indian artists who make up the global South Asian diaspora.

"This channel has been in the works for some time, and we are so proud to finally announce its launch," says Michelle Mearns, senior vice president of programming and operations. "SiriusXM Dhamaka showcases not only our incredible South Asian talent right here in Canada, but also international artists, giving listeners the opportunity to discover new and emerging music from around the world."

The channel joins Sirius' lineup of Canadian music including Mixtape: North, Top of the Country Radio, The Verge, Poplandia, The Tragically Hip Radio, Attitude Franco, and more.

Check out SiriusXM Dhamaka here.