LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bhangra: Bhangra Music
built 640 days ago
Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. People traditionally performed Bhangra when celebrating the harvest. During Bhangra, people sing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, at least one person plays the the dhol drum, and other people may play the flute, dholak drum, or other musical instruments. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings and New Year celebrations. Moreover, during the last thirty years, Bhangra has enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae.As Bhangra continues to move into mainstream culture, an understanding of its history and tradition helps to appreciate it.
Source:
Bhangra is nothing new, but over the past few years it has become bigger then ever. These days, the Punjabi rhythms that make up the Bhangra sound are being fused with pop, hiphop, dancehall reggae, and house music. These new sounds have caused such an explosion in the music scene that major artists like Timbaland are incorporated into their albums and Jay-Z is collaborating with artists like Punjabi MC.
Source:
Beginning as a form of lively folk music performed at harvests in the Punjab, Bhangra has evolved remarkably over the past five hundred years. The music now fully represents the culture of the Punjab region, and the struggles of its people in their long and storied history. Moreover, the music still evolves today, incorporating elements of many different kinds of music from around the world, while still existing in its traditional form. Thanks to this diversification, Bhangra now reaches a larger audience than ever, all over the world. Bhangra competitions at universities in England, Canada, and America, as well as Southeast Asia, help to further the dance`s popularity. A person can easily expect Bhangra to continue its movement into mainstream culture well into the 21st Century.
Source:
Kuldip Manak, a Bhangra legend, has come to represent the ultimate Punjabi folk music icon. Malkit Singh, a current Bhangra star, says, "Kuldip Manak was one of my singing idols when I was growing up". He symbolizes the essence of Punjabi culture with regards to its history and people. Manak was raised into a musical family; his father was a singing priest in gurudwaras (Sikh temples) in Punjab. Manak's first release was in 1968 when he was just 14 yrs old. He went on to author hundreds of songs, many of which are covered and remixed by contemporary artists.
Source:
Bhangra competitions have been held in the Punjab for many decades. However, now universities and other organizations have begun to hold annual Bhangra dance competitions in many of the main cities of the United States, Canada, and England. At these competitions, young Punjabis, other South Asians, and people with no South Asian background compete for money and trophies. In the West, unlike the Punjab, there is less emphasis on traditional Bhangra moves, but rather more focus on a general look of the dance; for example, many teams at these competitions perform several hip-hop moves. This synergy of the Bhangra dance with other cultures` parallels the music's fusion with different genres. University competitions have experienced an explosion in popularity over the last three years (Bhangra Blowout, hosted by George Washington University on 1 April 2000, sold out to a crowd of 4,000 people, with scalpers reportedly getting $80 per ticket at the door), and help to promote the dance and music in mainstream culture.
Source:
The 13th annual Bhangra Blowout was held at the DAR Constitution Hall this past Saturday. Bhangra Blowout is an intercollegiate dance competition presented every year by the South Asian Society of the George Washington University. Bhangra is a mixture of traditional Punjab music and dance. This year’s winner was the team from Columbia University.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Bhangra Music