Bhangra

upbeat type of popular music associated with Punjabi culture

Bhangra started in the Punjab region, now divided between India and Pakistan, and began as a folk dance which was conducted by Punjabi farmers of all creeds, Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus, to celebrate the coming of the harvest season.

A Bhangra tournament concert
Hot seasons Punjabi Folk dance

Bhangra became popular in Britain in the 1980s and the artists of Bhangra were selling over 30,000 cassettes a week in the UK even though not one of the artists made their way into the Top 40 UK Chart. Bhangra is also popular in Canada where singer, Jazzy B sold over 55,000 copies of his third album, Folk and Funky and became one of the best-selling Punjabi folk artists in the world.

The outfits for Bhangra are Turla or torla, Pag, which is a turban that is a sign of pride/honor in Punjab and is tied differently than the traditional turbans that the Sikhs and other people wear on the street, Kurta which is a silk shirt, with about four buttons and is very loose with embroidered patterns, Chadara which is a loose loincloth tied around the dancer's waist, Jugi which is a waistcoat with no buttons, and Rumāl which are small scarves that are worn tied on to the fingers.

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