bhangra paper

7/27/2019 Bhangra Paper

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Running Head: BHANGRA MUSIC AND ITS CULTURAL JOURNEY 1

Bhangra Music and its Cultural Journey

Diana Fox

Molloy College


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BHANGRA MUSIC AND ITS CULTURAL JOURNEY 2

Abstract

Bhangra music is an significant component of Punjabi culture. The role of this music

takes on many forms. Since the 1980s Bhangra music became exceedingly widespread

throughout the world. There are many different instruments used to compose and perform

this style of music. The Punjabi culture and bhangra music holds a strong presence in the

United States. The findings suggest that bhangra music can also be successful when used

in a music therapy setting.

Keywords:bhangra music, Punjabi, Bollywood, roles, United States, music

therapy, instruments


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Bhangra is an energetic new form of popular dance music that has roots tied to the

14th

century when native Punjabis would sing and dance to celebrate their annual wheat

harvests (Kelly & Thind, n.d.). Since that time bhangra (like everything else) has been

fine-tuned, transformed and modernized. The sounds of this exhilarating, spirited music

has traveled around the world and is adored and enjoyed by people of all cultures.

However, it all began in the Punjab region.

The Punjab region covers the area of Northern India all the way to Southern

Pakistan (Miller & Shahriari, 2012). Currently, there are three primary religions that are

present in the area. They are Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam. This area has been occupied

and controlled by various empires and races. In the 19th

century the British claimed the

territory. After the British rule concluded in 1947, the region was divided into India and

Pakistan. As a result, many of the Punjabis relocated to the United Kingdom. (Kelly &

Thind, n.d.). During the late 1960s and 1970s, large numbers of Punjabi, primarily

Sikhs, migrated to Great Britain(Miller & Shahriari, 2012, p. 127). This is where we

first began to see bhangra music develop and surface. By the 1980s bhangra music

thrived among Indian communities across the United Kingdom (Miller & Shahriari,

2012).

In the 1980s the Punjabi youth that had resided in London, England started to

take bhangra music to a new level. This helped the South Asian culture in this area

develop an identity as British rock began to rise. It allowed South Asian individuals

within a booming culture to distinguish and connect with one another. (Purkayastha,

2005). They began blending bhangra rhythms and vocal performance with modern

music styles to create a new pop genre of bhangra that reflected their cultural identity


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in a cultural community (Miller & Shahriari, 2012, p. 127). The transformation that

bhangra had made became popular and traveled rapidly among the Punjabi communities.

It eventually found its way back to India and Pakistan and became imbedded into Indian

pop culture. Bhangra music began to serve as the exciting interludes that accompany

Bollywood films. Currently, bhangra music also plays important roles in group

celebratory dancesharvest festivals, and weddings (Miller & Shahriari, 2012, p. 127).

Many intellectuals will argue that true Punjabi song and dance are complex

and sonic and kinesic genres requiring natural talent and intensive training and are

capable of articulating a wide range of emotions orrasas (emotions or moods) as any

other folk or classical genre (Roy, 2012, p. 38). These intellectuals feel that Bollywood

Bhangra breaches Punjabi ethics because of its impromptu, sexual, and spontaneous

choreography. But to many in India, it is part of the Indian diaspora and bhangra is

Bollywood Bhangra (Roy, 2012, pg. 38). With its wild dances, colorful costumes, and

festive connotations, bhangra has become a staple in Indian culture.

There are several distinct Punjabi instruments that give bhangra its unique sound.

Typically, a lead male vocalist with accompanying group response is typical in both folk

and popularcontexts (Miller & Shahrisi, 2012, p. 127). The most significant instrument

used is the dhol drum. Bhangra music cannot be defined without the presence of this

instrument. The dhol drum is a large, moderately tall bass sounding drum. It is held

around a players neck using a strap and two sticks are used to produce a sound. Another

important instrument used is the high-pitched tumbi. The tumbi is a lute that only

contains one string (Miller & Shahriari, 2012). Although it has only one string,

mastering the tumbi takes many years (Kelly & Thind, n.d.).


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Another instrument that is customary in bhangra music is the harmonium. The

harmonium is a free-reed pump organ that is native to France. It provides the music with

melodic lines and contrast (Miller & Shahriari, 2012). Other stringed instruments that are

present in bhangra music are the sarangi, sapera, supp, and chimta. Comparable to the

violin, the sarangi is a multi-stringed instrument. The sapera creates pleasant, up-lifting

sounds, while the supp and chimta gently decorate the gathering of exotic sounds (Kelly

& Thind, n.d.).

Besides the dhol there are also other drums that can be used to add rhythmic

interest. They are the dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru (Kelly & Thind, n.d.). The dhad is

very similar to the talking drum. It has an hourglass shape and tightening ropes attached

to it can alter its pitch. The dafli looks like a tambourine with skin stretched across the

top of it with metal cymbals paired up in groups along the outside of the instrument. The

dholki is a two-headed membranophone, which sits on a players lap. Finally, the damru is

like the hourglass shaped dhad but much smaller in scale. (Massey, 1976).

Bhangra held an important part in supporting South Asian communities within

North America. Commodities such as bhangra music, for instance, have popularized the

African, Caribbean, Latin American, Punjabi, and British connections of the South Asian

diaspora with North America (May, 2012,p. 145). As Bhangra spread among this

culture throughout the 1980s it unified a growing population. The emergence of clubs

such as Soca Paradise, Sounds of Brazil, Club Demara, [and] Den of thieves (May,

2012, 145) represented this increasing demand for Bhangra music. It also invited other

international music styles such as chutney and jungle to the North American population.

The rise of bhangra music served as a source of inspiration for New York City D.J.s to


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successfully experiment and attempt mixing disco, funk, hip-hop, house, and Punjabi folk

music among the club scene. (May, 2012)

Currently, bhangra still maintains a strong presence. In the New York area there

are year round bhangra events like Big Apple Bhangra, a competition that hosts

bhangra dance teams from all around the country. Each team presents an original

performance in front of a live audience and is selected by a panel of judges to receive

placings and awards (http://www.bigapplebhangra.com, 2012). New York City Bhangra

is an organization that was founded in 2007 with the intention to endorse Indian dance. It

is one of New York Citys most recognized dance groups, and welcomes all ages and

races to join and become a member(http://www.nycbhangra.com, 2012).

Based out of Brooklyn, New York, Red Baraat is an nine-piece band that

combines bhangra music with funk, latin, and jazz sounds. The accomplished members of

the band play a variety of diverse instruments that include the native dhol, a drum set,

percussion unit, sousaphone and a five-piece horn section. In order to gain a deeper

connection of bhangra music and as per the requirements of this term paper I attended a

live performance of this group.

I was impressed by the groups ability to blend a challenging assortment of

instruments and execute ethnic determination. Each member of the group united with one

another and created a flawless arrangement of jazz, funk, and bhangra. The rhythm

section delivered the substance of native Punjabi music with the energies of mighty

drumming while the horns encircled the music with funky melodic lines. Each section

was given a chance to improvise which added a thrilling jazz element into the mixture.
http://www.nycbhangra.com/http://www.nycbhangra.com/


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There was not a dull moment of sound and each song built anticipation for the next.

After attending a live performance of Red Barrat, I can say with confidence that this band

will not have any trouble spreading the fusion of cultures and will continue to find

enormous success by keeping the spirit of bhangra alive.

I believe, when used appropriately, bhangra music can be extremely successful in

a music therapy setting. Bhangra can serve as a positive assimilation tool for South-Asian

individuals. It is a modern way for people of this culture to authentically identify with

their ethnicity but at the same time it also introduces current trends. Current trends can be

but are not limited too; electronic dance music, the art mixing music, and

experimentation. It is also a good way to connect descendants of this culture with one

another. There are many bhangra-based events constantly going on in numerous

communities. Clients can see how their group plays an important role within a larger,

outside society.

Because bhangra is not limited to only song, there are many outlets available to a

client. If a client prefers dancing, rather to singing or playing they have an option. This is

important because you are providing a client with self-choice and decision-making.

Furthermore, Bhangra music lends itself to natural improvisational techniques such as

drumming. The percussive instruments utilized in bhangra are very organic and do not

require the mastering of skills to play. Clients can appreciate and fundamentally explore

the music of their heritage within an amiable and benign environment.

Bhangras cultural journey may have began hundreds of years ago, but its

ultimate destination continues to remain unknown. The essence of bhangra music


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References

Big Apple Bhangra (2012). Retrived November 25, 2012, from

http://bigapplebhangra.com/2012/wordpress/

Kelly, C. & Thind J. (n.d.). History of Bhangra.Bhangra HistoryDevelopment of

Bhangra. Retrieved from

http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/library.history?Action=Bhangra

Massey, R. & Massey J. (1986).Music of India [DX Reader version]. Retrieved from

https://mynook.barnesandnoble.com/read.html?k=The-Music-of-India/Reginald-

Massey&ean=2940012632470#

May, J. (1999).Nomadic Identities: The Performace of Citizenship [DX Reader version].

Retrieved from

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Miller, T. E. & Shahriari, A. (2012). World Music, A Global Journey. New York, NY:

Taylor & Francis.

NYC Bhangra (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2012, from

http://www.nycbhangra.com/html/home.shtml

Purkayastha, B. (2005).Negotiating Ethnicity: Second Generation South Asian

Americans Traverse a Transnational World. Retrieved from

http://bigapplebhangra.com/2012/wordpress/https://mynook.barnesandnoble.com/read.html?k=The-Music-of-India/Reginald-Massey&ean=2940012632470https://mynook.barnesandnoble.com/read.html?k=The-Music-of-India/Reginald-Massey&ean=2940012632470http://site.ebrary.com/lib/molloy/docDetail.action?docID=10151132http://www.nycbhangra.com/html/home.shtmlhttp://site.ebrary.com/lib/molloy/docDetail.action?docID=10114308http://site.ebrary.com/lib/molloy/docDetail.action?docID=10114308http://www.nycbhangra.com/html/home.shtmlhttp://site.ebrary.com/lib/molloy/docDetail.action?docID=10151132https://mynook.barnesandnoble.com/read.html?k=The-Music-of-India/Reginald-Massey&ean=2940012632470https://mynook.barnesandnoble.com/read.html?k=The-Music-of-India/Reginald-Massey&ean=2940012632470http://bigapplebhangra.com/2012/wordpress/


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Roy, A. J. (2010). Is Everybody Saying Shava Shava To Bolloywood Bhangra?. In

Mehta, R. B. & Pandharipande, R. (Eds.),Bollywood and Globalization: Indian

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