• Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
    Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
    Sign up Log in

Bhangra Now!

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
Bhangra means "intoxicated with joy."

Much inspired by the thread Dancing and Gurbani, begun by forum member BhagatSingh ji, I began a leisurely study of the folk dances of the historical northern India including Punjab in India and Pakistan. This interest became something of an obsession over the last few days that I am on Winter holidays. Many discoveries turned up in Internet searches -- including an amazing array of resources related to Bhangra.

This thread exists to share video lessons to learn bhangra, internet radio with bhangra channels, historical information about bhangra and the folk tradition from which it comes, and video and audio that will add to our bhangra experiences. :cool:

Hope the thread is going to be worth many hours of enjoyment for you. It will be that for certain for me.

May everyone be happy! Forgive me...
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
To get started we need a rich supply of Bhangra music. The rhythms and melodies need to penetrate your senses and imagination. You need to soak up the sound so that the movements will be natural --- the most natural thing in the world to you.

A good Internet radio station -- also posted on the thread "Dancing and Gurbani" is bollywoodboston.com

Here is the link to the radio player. Everything is streaming audio. Really terrific selections and a really long playlist. Here is the link:

Bollywood Boston! - Bhangra Radio
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
Next, if you are not Punjabi -- and you are a little concerned that you won't be able to learn -- don't worry. It is a mistake to think that everyone in the Punjab or of Punjabi origin can do bhangra. I know quite a few people who do not know how to do it. Posted here is a video to get you started, "Learn to Bhangra in 7 Days."

It is a wonderful resource on Google videos, originally posted there by mrsikhnet.com (Gurumustukh Singh who is the editor of Sikhnet). Before any bhangra lessons are shown, there is a wonderful episode that depicts the rural culture of the Punjab where bhangra was born. There are some amazing pics from generations ago of bhangra dancing in the countryside. You will be treated to scene after scene of Punjabi folk in traditional clothing, working their farmlands of the Punjab with traditional tools and animals: threshing wheat, grinding flour, tilling fields with buffalo, families sitting and chatting, and even a family Labrador retriever taking in the conversation, and of course men and women doing bhangra. A serious cultural and musicological production, here it is.

:happy:The link to the lessons

Learn how to do Bhangra Dance in 7 Days
For the next week I will be practicing myself.
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
Some history

Bhangra History

HISTORY: Bhangra is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region in Southeast Asia. As many Bhangra lyrics reflect the long and often tumultuous history of the Punjab, knowledge of Punjabi history offers important insights into the meaning of the music. 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.

The Bhangra: Although Bhangra has possibly existed since as long ago as 300 BC, over the past forty years it has experienced new highs in popularity and innovation. The term "Bhangra" has gradually evolved and now refers to many different sub-classes of dance and music for many occasions.The Origin of Bhangra While Bhangra historians speculate the dance may have originated in the time of the wars with Alexander no one is sure it existed until about five hundred years ago. Around the 14th or 15th Century, Punjabi wheat farmers danced and sang songs about village life to help pass the time while working in the fields. With time, these became part of harvest celebrations at Bhaisakhi (April 13) festivals, as the sight of their crops growing invigorated the farmers. From here the dance quickly moved through all divisions of class and education, eventually becoming a part of weddings, New Year parties, and other important occasions.
BHANGRA.JPG


The Many Sub-Dances of Bhangra: Bhangra has developed as a combination of dances from different parts of the Punjab region. The term "Bhangra" now refers to several kinds of dances and arts, including Jhumar, Luddi, Giddha, Julli, Daankara, Dhamal, Saami, Kikli, and Gatka.Jhumar, originally from Sandalbar, Punjab, comprises an important part of Punjab folk heritage. It is a graceful dance, based on a specific Jhumar rhythm. Dancers circle around a drum player while singing a soft chorus. A person performing the Luddi dance places one hand behind his head and the other in front of his face, while swaying his head and arms. He typically wears a plain loose shirt and sways in a snake-like manner. Like a Jhumar dancer, the Luddi dancer moves around a dhol player.Women have a different but equally exuberant dance called Giddha. The dancers enact verses called bolis, representing a wide variety of subjects - everything from arguments with a sister-in-law to political affairs. The rhythm of the dance depends not only the drums, but also on the handclaps of the dancers. Julli is a dance associated with Muslim holy men called pirs and is generally performed in their hermitages. Typically the dancers dress all in black, and perform Julli in a sitting posture, but it is sometimes also done around the grave of a preceptor. Julli is unique in that one person, alone, can perform the dance if he so desires. Daankara is a dance of celebration, typically performed at weddings. Two men, each holding colorful staves, dance around each other in a circle while tapping their sticks together in rhythm with the drums.Dancers also form a circle while performing Dhamal. They also hold their arms high, shake their shoulders and heads, and yell and scream. Dhamal is a true folk-dance, representing the heart of Bhangra. Women of the Sandalbar region traditionally are known for the Saami. The dancers dress in brightly colored kurtas and full flowing skirts called lehengas.Like Daankara, Kikli features pairs of dancers, this time women. The dancers cross their arms, hold each other`s hands, and whirl around singing folk songs. Occasionally four girls join hands to perform this dance. Gatka is a Sikh martial art in which people use swords, sticks, or daggers. Historians believe that the sixth Sikh guru started the art of gatka after the martyrdom of fifth guru Guru Arjan Dev. Wherever there is a large Khalsa Sikh population, there will be Gatka participants, often including small children and adults. These participants usually perform Gatka on special Punjabi holidays. In addition to these different dances, a Bhangra performance typically contains many energetic stunts. The most popular stunt is called the moor, or pea{censored}, in which a dancer sits on someone`s shoulders, while another person hangs from his torso by his legs. Two-person towers, pyramids, and various spinning stunts are also popular.

Bhangra Costumes: Traditionally, men wear a lungi while doing Bhangra. A lungi is a colorful piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Men also wear a kurta, which is a long Punjabi-style shirt. In addition, men wear Bhugaris - also known as turbins - to cover their heads.Women wear the traditional Punjabi dress, salvar kameez. A salvar kameez is composed of a long colorful shirt and baggy, vibrant pants. Women also wear duppattas, colorful pieces of cloth wrapped around the neck. Many Bhangra songs make references to the duppatta.
BHANGRA1.JPG



Bhangra Instruments: Many different Punjabi instruments contribute to the sound of Bhangra. Although the most important instrument is the dhol drum, Bhangra also features a variety of string and other drum instruments. The primary and most important instrument that defines Bhangra is the dhol. The dhol is a large, high-bass drum, played by beating it with two sticks. The width of a dhol skin is about fifteen inches in general, and the dhol player holds his instrument with a strap around his neck.The string instruments include the tumbi, sarangi, sapera, supp, and chimta. The dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru are the other drums. The tumbi, famously mastered by Amar Singh Chamkila, a famous Punjabi singer, is a high-tone, single-string instrument. Although it has only one string, mastering the tumbi takes many years. The sarangi is a multi-stringed instrument, somewhat similar to the violin. The sapera produces a beautiful, high-pitched stringy beat, while the supp and chimta add extra, light sound to Bhangra music. Finally, the dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru are instruments that produce more drum beats, but with much less bass than the dhol drum.


Bhangra lyrics, always sung in the Punjabi language, generally cover social issues such as love, relationships, alcohol, dancing, and marriage. Additionally, there are countless Bhangra songs devoted to Punjabi pride themes and Punjabi heroes. The lyrics are tributes to the rich cultural traditions of the Punjabis. In particular, many Bhangra tracks have been written about Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh. Less serious topics include beautiful ladies with their colorful duppattas, and dancing and drinking in the fields of the Punjab. Bhangra singers do not sing in the same tone of voice as their Southeast Asian counterparts. Rather, they employ a high, energetic tone of voice. Singing fiercely, and with great pride, they typically add nonsensical, random noises to their singing. Likewise, often people dancing to Bhangra will yell phrases such as "Hey hey hey,"Balle balle," or"Hey aripa" to the music.​

Source: DESI-WORLD - Portal for all the desi's around the world
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
amarsanghera ji

Not really! I need to learn a lot about Punjab in order to understand the context of Sikhism in its early years, and today. It has been an adventure full of surprises. :D

I am more of a bhangraphile -- and some other things too.

Oh! and I hope you like the radio and the bhangra lessons video. More to come.
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
I want to add. That once one becomes a Sikh, Punjab, its history in particular, does become a kind of homeland. That desire to know as much as I possibly can comes more from that sense of homeland in spirit.
 

❤️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN SPN MOBILE PLATFORM

Top