Culture / How Raoul Juneja Is Building The Infrastructure Of South Asian Music In North America

How Raoul Juneja Is Building The Infrastructure Of South Asian Music In North America

Culture Jan 30, 2026

by Farah Khan | Editorial Director

Raoul Juneja reflects on 25+ years championing South Asian artists and launching SiriusXM Dhamaka across North America.

An award-winning Canadian radio programmer and Emmy-nominated television music supervisor, Raoul Juneja is widely regarded as one of the most influential curators of South Asian music in the West. With over 25 years in media spanning television, radio, digital platforms, and live cultural programming, his career has been defined by a singular throughline: championing South Asian artists at moments when visibility, access, and infrastructure were scarce.From creating and co-hosting Canada’s first South Asian music television series, V-Mix on OMNI Television, to curating CBC Music’s first South Asian streaming channel, and later supervising music for global hits like Indian Matchmaking on Netflix, Juneja has consistently operated at the intersection of culture and credibility. He is credited with giving many of today’s prominent South Asian Canadian artists their first mainstream television appearances and radio plays, earning him multiple honours including an ‘Excellence In Music Media’ ANOKHI award, a Diversity Magazine Transformation Award, and a Canadian Screen Award nomination.

His influence extends well beyond broadcasting. A former music columnist for The Globe & Mail, NOW Magazine, Chart Attack, and WORD Magazine, Juneja has also served as a judge for the JUNO Awards, Prism Prize, and Toronto Independent Music Awards. As one of the first South Asian Canadian voting members of The Recording Academy, he continues to mentor emerging artists while advocating for equity and representation across the industry.

That lifelong commitment reached a new milestone in March 2025 with the launch of SiriusXM Dhamaka, an all-new international South Asian channel available across North America. Programmed by Juneja and based out of SiriusXM Canada’s Toronto studios, the channel blends genres, languages, and generations—reflecting both the depth of South Asian musical heritage and its contemporary global evolution.

For Juneja, this work is deeply personal. Born in Toronto, raised in New York, and shaped by a family legacy of community service led by his late grandfather Diljit Juneja and late father Ravi Juneja, he views cultural advocacy not as a career choice, but as a responsibility—one that bridges diaspora stories with mainstream platforms.

Exclusive Chat With Raoul Juneja

In this chat, Raoul Juneja reflects on the inspiration behind launching SiriusXM Dhamaka, the evolution of South Asian music in North America, the importance of human curation in a streaming-first era, and the advice he offers the next generation of artists, journalists, and programmers looking to follow in his footsteps.

Farah Khan: What was the inspiration behind launching SiriusXM Dhamaka, and what makes it different from other South Asian music platforms? What role do you see SiriusXM Dhamaka playing in the global South Asian music movement?

Raoul Juneja: With Canada being considered a current hotspot for South Asian music, Michelle Mearns (SiriusXM Canada SVP, Programming & Operations) felt there was a genuine need for our channel – and our SiriusXM Canada studios being based in Toronto also gives us a uniquely Canadian viewpoint, right in the center of the action!”

SiriusXM also prides itself on being “humanly curated” and we go above and beyond to make sure every segment of the South Asian music diaspora is represented, both angles which I feel are unique to any other Canadian channel.

Farah Khan: You’ve been a champion of South Asian artists in North America for decades. How have you seen the scene evolve since you first started?

Raoul Juneja: I believe South Asian community media and social platforms played a big part in fans growing up seeing artists who looked and sounded like them who they wanted to support – and then once the labels and mainstream media started supporting more, we really started to see a South Asian music industry infrastructure come together which we had always needed.

Farah Khan: What do you hope this channel will mean for young South Asian Canadians trying to break into music?

Raoul Juneja: SiriusXM has a great track record of breaking artists (they were one of the first to ever play Taylor Swift!) and I’ve been honored to have discovered many (now) prominent South Asian artists during my career!

So I hope the channel can be an inspiration for young artists that they will genuinely be supported by SiriusXM Dhamaka. Our Senior Music Manager Siobhan Woodrow and our other Canadian channel programmers have been beyond supportive of my efforts, and I’m always proud to see them following the same philosophy for their respective channels to put the music first.

Farah Khan: You’ve worked across television, radio, and digital platforms. What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey so far?

Raoul Juneja: Having been a loyal SiriusXM subscriber for over 10 years, it was always a dream of mine to see a South Asian music channel there – so it was definitely a career milestone to be approached to help them curate SiriusXM Dhamaka.

Farah Khan: You’ve been called a “South Asian musical visionary.” What keeps you inspired after 25 years in the industry?

Raoul Juneja: My late grandfather (Diljit Juneja) and late father (Ravi Juneja) had long histories of serving the South Asian community in Canada through their charitable work, bridging the gap between our community and the mainstream.

So I definitely see my work as a continuation of their legacy, and I’m happy they were both there to see my work be recognized at various key career moments – both of them got to see my former TV show ‘V-Mix on OMNI’ and me receiving my ANOKHI Lifetime Achievement Award! My Dad was also very proud to see the launch of SiriusXM Dhamaka!

Farah Khan: What advice would you say to someone who wants to be the next Raoul Juneja – a music journalist, curator, or programmer?

Raoul Juneja: I’m lucky to have got my start on campus radio (CHRW at Western University) and had some great inspirations and mentors – so I would say experience is the most valuable tool in this industry, whether hands on at a school or if you can get support and advice from the earlier generations.

I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without those who paved the way, inspired and supported me – like Monika Deol, Russell Peters, DJ Mastermind, DJ X, Master T, George Strombo, Sway and so many others!

In an era where algorithms often dictate visibility, Raoul Juneja remains committed to something far more enduring: intention. Whether through radio, television, or global platforms like SiriusXM Dhamaka, his work continues to prioritize cultural integrity, human curation, and long-term access for South Asian artists across generations.

It’s not just about who gets heard today, but about ensuring the systems exist for who gets heard tomorrow. And in building that infrastructure, Juneja isn’t simply shaping the future of South Asian music in North America, he’s safeguarding its place within it.

Farah Khan | Editorial Director

Author

Farah Khan manages the editorial department at ANOKHI LIFE, overseeing content production, publishing, and the annual editorial calendar, while also supporting operations, projects, systems, events, and vendor coordination.

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How Raoul Juneja Is Building The Infrastructure Of South Asian Music In North America

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