When you talk to people about bhangra, there can be two ways the conversation may take place. One, you may talk about the dance itself and the art it presents on stage with people moving around in perfectly choreographed ways. Or, you could also be discussing the music. Bhangra is not simply considered a dance, but it also includes the musical style that accompanies the dance. The music as i have mentioned before takes many different shapes and forms. It can be very solemn and moving; it can be powerful and prideful. There are numerous emotions made from bhangra music. It all comes down to the execution of the style. The music also holds historical significance, and as many other components of bhangra, it has transformed over the years as well.

Originally, people would dance to the beat of a drum known as the dhol. This is perhaps the most famous musical instrument, and it is truly the one instrument that the dancers will follow along with. The dhol is shaped different from what you may consider a normal drum. It is more of an elongated barrel that can be struck on both ends. One end is composed of a thicker material that is stretched across the side, and it will produce a lower frequency sound. The other end has a thinner material stretched which helps produce a higher frequency sound. The drummer will wear it around their shoulders or neck, and they will use two special wooden sticks to play. One stick is a thicker, heavier stick that is struck on the thicker side to create the bass sound. The other is thinner, lighter, and flexible. It is to be used on the lighter side. The music is very loud and “hard-hitting”, so the drummer will often play during the powerful sections of choreography. These styles include dhammal and jhummar which are the energetic and grand movements. Nowadays, when teams perform on stage, they may choose to have a dhol drummer accompany them and drum along the beat of the pre-recorded music.

Dhol player on stage:

Another folk instrument that is used is called tumbi. This is a string instrument that is made of a wooden stick that stands upon a hollow gourd shell. Along the wood and to the gourd is a singular string that is plucked repetitively. It will provide a rhythmic accompaniment to the beat set by the dhol and the lyrics sung by the vocalist. The last instrument I will mention is called the chimta. This is made of two long pieces of metal that have brass rings attached along the two sides. Put together, it will look like tongs, and these are struck together to clash the rings that produce music. It is very commonly heard in Punjabi folk music as well as Sikh religious music. Along with the dhol player, you may also see a person on the side of the stage dancing with the chimta as well. This dancer will often mimic the leg movements of the rest of the dancers while the hands play the instrument.

Chimta:

Of course accompanying all of these instruments and more is the lyrics themselves. In Punjabi, we refer to them as boliyan, and they hold great significance in the words. The meaning will set the tone for how the dance will be performed. The coordination of the lyrics, music, and dance will often tell the audience a story with powerful emotions.

There is much more that adds to the dance, and that includes the instruments/props used by dancers themselves which is what I will share with you next time!