Joi was formed, originally working under the banners 'League Of Joi Bangla Youth Organisation' and 'Joi Bangla', a collective set up in 1983 to promote Bengali culture to children in their local East London area. They started out in the context of community work and events and subsequently became active members of a growing Asian dance scene in England. Out of this a Bengali youth movement came the Joi Bangla sound system formed by Farook and Haroon Shamsher, fusing Asian influences with Western beats and fusing the sounds of traditional Bengali music with hip hop and contemporary dance styles. They spun records in local youth clubs around the Brick Lane area of London.