Bhangra

Bhangra is both a lively folk dance which traces its roots to the region of Punjab, in North India and Pakistan and the musical accompaniment to the dance. A variety of popular music, also called Bhangra, has developed from these traditions and has a keen youth following around the world.

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The dance originated as an expression of the celebratory mood of the harvest festival called Baisakhi and later graduated to being performed on almost every Punjabi social occasion especially weddings. Usually Bhangra is performed by male dancers. They dress in bright, colourful attire made up primarily of a white shirt, a cloth wrapped around the waist (called a kamarkussa) and a turban. If women dance, they do so separately. A performance is normally accompanied by singing and, most significantly, the beat of the dhol drum, tumbi and an instrument reminiscent of an enlarged pair of tongs called chimta. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language called bolis. They relate to harvest celebration, love, patriotism or current social issues.

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Nowadays the word Bhangra is more associated with the independent style of dance pop music derived from the above mentioned musical accompaniment. The dhol's smaller cousin, the dholaki, is sometimes used instead of or in addition to the dhol. Additional percussion, including tabla, is frequently used in bhangra.

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Bhangra has always been popular amongst Punjabi people all over the world, but it has enjoyed a resurgence over the last ten years or so. Its raw traditional sound is often supplemented with contemporary musical styles. In its more recent history, bhangra has been fused with disco, reggae, techno, house, rap, ragga and now jungle. In fact these new styles are so successful that modern bhangra is now being re-exported back to India. Most of this tends to come from the UK desi scene, a subculture found amongst the South Asian diaspora.

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Both collegiate and non-collegiate Bhangra competitions are held throughout the world, especially in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Some competitions in the United States include Bhangra Blowout (the nation's premiere intercollegiate bhangra competition), Bruin Bhangra, and South Beach Bhangra. Notable teams include Khalsa Junction, Michigan Bhangra Team, Phulorida, Rutgers, Sher Foundation, Surrey India Arts Club and Panj Dariyan Di Shaan (www.pddsbhangra.com)

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Punjab: Punjab or Panjab is derived from the Persian panj-?b,in which it means " five rivers"....

India: The Republic of India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. India has a coastline which stretches over seven thousand kilometres, and shares its borders with Pakistan to the west, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh...

Harvest festival: Thanksgiving ceremonies and celebrations for a successful harvest are both worldwide and very ancient....