Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. People traditionally performed Bhangra when celebrating the harvest. During Bhangra, people sing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, at least one person plays the the dhol drum, and other people may play the flute, dholak drum, or other musical instruments. 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.

Bhangra Bhangra Bhangra!!!

Many people believe that Bhangra originated in the 1400s, however, it may be even older. Primarily men performed Bhangra, while the ladies performed their own fierce, yet elegent, dance called Giddha. The men wore the turbin, lungi (long cloth wrapped around the waist), and kurta (traditional Indian shirt), while the women, when performing Giddha, wore the salvar kameez (a long colorful shirt accompanied with a baggy style bottom piece) accompanied by their bright colored duppattas (cloth wrapped around the neck).

Nowadays, because of Punjabi influence worldwide, people perform Bhangra in all parts of the world at occasions such as weddings, receptions, and parties. Bhangra has evolved from a dance and music only performed in the Punjab region, to a popular style of music and dance that people perform throughout South Asia and many parts of the world.

Bhangra singers hail from many parts of the world. Many popular artists from South Asia include Surjit Bindrakhia, Surinder Shinda, Manmohan Warris, A.S. Kang, Jagmohan Kaur, Hans Raj Hans, Kuldip Manak, Gurdass Mann, Ranjit Mani, Sardool Sikander, Daler Mehndi, Sarabjeet Cheema, Harbhajan Mann, and Amar Arshi.

In the West, there are many popular artists. From United States and Canada, there are artists such as Sangeet Group of California, Jazzy Bains, and Bhinda Jatt. From England, there are DCS, Malkit Singh, B21, Safri Boyz, and Dippa.

Bhangra is truly becoming more popular worldwide and people of non-Punjabi background are listening to and performing Bhangra. Universities and other organizations are holding annual Bhangra dance competitions in many of the main cities of the United States, Canada, and England. At these competitions, young Punjabis, people of different South Asian background, and people with no South Asian background compete. It is evident that every year Bhangra becomes more popular and known among many different types of people worldwide.