Bhangra (music)
Bhangra (Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ, بھنگڑا, bhaṅgṛā) is a lively dance originating from the region of Punjab, now divided between North India and Pakistan. Bhangra has developed from a variety of popular music while rooted in the region's traditions and has a strong youth following around the world.
Bhangra is a fusion of music: singing and the beat of the dhol drum, a single stringed instrument called the sitar(ektara), the 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. Today the word bhangra is more associated with the 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.
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, ragga and now jungle. However, the most well-known fusion is with hip hop and rap, which became extremely successful among both Indian and European youth after Punjabi MC from the UK collaborated with the well-known rapper Jay-Z on a version of one of his songs, Mundian To Bach Ke (also known as "Beware of the Boys"). Groups like the Bombay Rockers from Denmark and DJ A.P.S. from Canada produced the earliest recordings of mixes that combined bhangra vocals and melodies with hip-hop beats. In fact, these new styles have been so successful that modern bhangra is now being re-exported back to India. Most of this tends to come from the British Asian scene, a subculture found amongst the South Asian diaspora.
Both collegiate and non-collegiate bhangra competitions are held throughout the world, especially in the Punjab (India and Pakistan), United States, Canada, and the UK.