Music Sound

Bhangra (Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ, بھنگڑا, bhaṅgṛā) is both a lively dance which is from the region of Punjab, now divided between 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.

Music of India: Topics
Bhajan Bhangra Filmi Ghazal
Timeline and Samples
Genres	Classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) - Rock - Pop - Hip hop
Awards	Bollywood Music Awards - Punjabi Music Awards
Charts
Festivals	Sangeet Natak Akademi – Thyagaraja Aradhana – Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana
Media	Sruti, The Music Magazine
National anthem	"Jana Gana Mana", also national song "Vande Mataram"

Bhangra is a fusion of music, singing and the beat of the dhol drum, a single stringed instrument called the iktar (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, rap, ragga and now jungle. 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 UK Desi 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), United States, Canada, and the UK. Some competitions in the United States include:

Bhangra Blowout in Washington, D.C.
Bruin Bhangra in Long Beach, California
Bhangra Fusion in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dhol Di Awaz in the San Francisco Bay Area
South Beach Bhangra in Miami

Contents 1 Notable Bhangra artists 2 Bands 3 Producers 4 External links

Notable Bhangra artists

(alphabetical by first name or stage name)

1 T D
A.S. Kang
Abrar-ul-Haq
Akram Rahi
Amar Singh Chamkila
Amrinder Gill
Amrita Virk
Apna Sangeet
Ashok Masti
Ataullah Isivi
B21
Babbu Mann
Balkar Sidhu
Balwinder Safri (of the Safri Boyz, aka Safri Boys)
BEE2
Benjie Shah
BBT
Big Dippers
Bikram Singh
Daler Mehndi
DJ GT
DJ Karan
Dr. Zeus
Gurdas Maan
Hans Raj Hans
Harbhajan Mann
Harjit Harman
Inderjit Singh
Jasbir Jassi
Jaspinder Narula
Jassi Sidhu
Jassi Sohal
Jawad Ahmed
Jazzy B
K.S. Makhan
Kamal Heer
Kuldip Manak
Kulwinder Dhillon
Lehmber Hussainpuri
Malkit Singh
Manmohan Waris
Nachattar Gill
Pammi Bai
Preet Brar
Punjabi MC
Ravinder Grewal
RDB
Romi Gill
Ryan Singh
The Sahotas
Sardool Sikander
Satwinder Bitti
Sukhshinder Shinda
Surjit Bindrakhia
Surinder Shinda
Bohemia The Punjabi Rapper

Bands

Anakhi
Apna Sangeet
Heera Group
Premi
Sahotas
Safri Boys

Producers

Aman Hayer
Bally Jagpal
Bally Rai
Bally Sagoo
BBC Soundcrew
DJ Karan
DJ S
DJ Stormz
Desi Elite Sounds Inc.
Panjabi By Nature
Panjabi MC
Rishi Rich
Shin G.C.
Sukhshinder Shinda
Taj-E

External links

• Latest Bhangra news, Videos, Interviews & More!
• Pictures and more information
• Video Footage of Bhangra Competitions in North America
• Urban Soundz - Bhangra/Urban events Events