Unknown to Madonna, Michael Jackson and a clutch of other pop stars, a revolution was quietly, almost surreptitiously, brewing against them in the hushed environs of basements in Brooklyn and London suburbs. Steadily, it took on the silhouette of a global rage. And before anyone realised it, an entire heterogenous generation fell victim to it. Look around. See the flailing arms, gyrating bodies and heady beats? It's probably a host of people dancing in gay abandon to the beats of bhangra-the newest craze on the party block. But-make no mistake-the asynchronous sounds of bhangra with reggae, folk and hip-hop didn't become hot overnight.

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"I first got exposed to bhangra in my late teens when my mom went to England and brought back a tape," says Rekha Malhotra, aka DJ Rekha. "I've always had a soft spot for Punjabi music and my grandmother used to sing it around the house," says the founder of the bimonthly party Basement Bhangra that ignited widespread interest in Punjabi music. She started out by playing in the basements of friends' houses but before long, she moved on to public gigs raising funds for South Asian non-profit groups. Just a matter of time and Rekha was the headlining DJ at some of New York's most infamous nightclubs.

She concedes that the West has transformed and reincorporated the original form of bhangra. "Bhangra, as understood in India, was transported to Britain in the 1950s and '60s, and used as a form of cultural preservation at weddings, ceremonies and other community events. Then the music was adapted by the second and third generation Indians." And without meaning any offence, Rekha adds, tongue-in-cheek, that far from being a Punjab export, "bhangra now is from Britain".

PUNJABI AND PROUD: Party hoppers take the mixing of cultures in stride

Bhangra prophet DJ Harpreet is conscious not to defile bhangra's traditional form. A popular turntable entrepreneur, Harpreet runs a production studio for Indian-American music on Long Island and believes in preserving the roots of bhangra, his own artistic interpretations be damned. "The best place to listen to bhangra is in a traditional Punjabi wedding because that's where you can experience it in its natural context," he says, and adds that the craze has spawned at least a hundred desi DJs across America. In fact, he says, there is no ambivalence now that bhangra is "a global thing".

TUNED IN: DJ Rekha at the helm

And proving that is the lively Indian nightlife scene in American cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit and Vancouver in Canada, which even sponsor heavyweight national bhangra tours. Bhangrapalooza, a parody of the popular concert series Lollapalooza, brings together the talents of acts like B-21 from England, Stereo Nation and Sukhbir.

But all said and done, bhangra isn't the lone beat about town; in fact, it's not even the only Indian vein. Priya Mohindra, who crafts the famed window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue, is a regular to Indian nightlife. "I had some friends and wanted to show them some real bhangra music," she says, while raising her arms above her head at Rekha's Basement Bhangra party. Mohindra, however, complains that the music there is geared for "the fringe of pop-culture bhangra listeners-you know, traditional." As a fan of Bollywood she was a little disappointed that she didn't hear any film songs.

ON THE FLOOR: Indians turn out in large numbers to rock to the bhangra beat

For popular Indian music an entirely different group of DJs takes up the reins. At NV/289 a group called SANA (South Asian Networking Association) hosts a party every month. Its forte: remixes of film songs. Here wealthy Indian 20- and 30-somethings get together to dance to music and make connections. The crowd at these parties is not as diverse as at bhangra events but still tends to get packed. Bhangra DJs tend to be condescending of the Bollywood-centred parties. "My impression of some of these clubs is that they cater to a sort of networking-social-happy-hour kind of thing with the DJ only a background decoration," DJ Rekha says disapprovingly. Asked about NV, she says, "If they play Indian music at all it's always faster."

Defending the DJs playing the Bollywood genre of music, DJ Masti, who made a name for himself playing similar stuff, says, "It all depends on the DJ, his experience and the type of crowd they want to cater to." Even so, "when I cater to a party I want everyone to have a blast," he adds.

The September 11 attacks crippled New York's famous nightlife. "The disaster hit the entertainment industry worst of all," rues DJ Masti. "In New York a lot of people don't want to come into the city and party anymore. I've only been back twice since it happened." To compensate for his lost income, Masti makes plays in private parties in the tri-state area.

Harpreet is a mite more enthusiastic. "People are a little scared to go out. It slowed down our nights in the beginning but lately things have been picking up." At an antique boutique-turned nightclub called Paisley, he is up to his usual "dhol and base" routines. Every night the small space packs in a variety of clubgoers and bhangraophiles ready to forget their worries and listen to good music. One minute Harpreet plays Missy Eliot's Get your freak on which made headlines when she incorporated Indian beats to the background. The next minute bhangra-straight out of the Punjab-blares out of the speakers, and a small contingent of women swarm in front of the DJ's booth.

The inspiring thing about bhangra in New York is that it's not just a niche music for Indians to listen to, but encompasses a much more varied crowd. Years ago before reggae hit the mainstream, it played solely among the Jamaican communities. When more people were exposed to it, it gained credibility and a wider acceptance among the American pop-charts. Who knows, bhangra could well become the next reggae, revolutionising the way Americans view Indian music.

For now, however, before attaining super-stardom, the DJs are happy to have a steady audience. Says Rekha, "As a DJ I feel like I am a part of the New York nightlife, not just for the Indian community. That makes me proud. I don't think I've created anything but a space for people to congregate-and I'm doing it in a way that's accessible to people all over the city."

As if on cue, some more people troop in-many of them non-Indians. The party, it's clear, has just begun.