Currently, I am sitting with my headphones on listening to some Punjabi music, and I just have the urge to get up and start dancing. Perhaps after this post, I may be able to do so. My music shuffles from one song to another spanning many different kinds of Punjabi songs. Some are slow tempo, but still have a modern and contemporary style of beat. Others are very traditional sounding with pure instruments and no electronic musical components. Between each song that I listen through, there is a quite a shift in the tones, moods, and meanings.

This is perfectly indicative of the shifts that music in Bhangra has experienced. The root of these shifts can be attributed to the general globalization and spread of Bhangra around the world. As I have discussed in a few of my previous posts, the original music was very traditional. It reflected the traditional lifestyles of the Punjabi farmers. They used the songs as a form of entertainment, and it spread throughout the local villages. The farmers would create lyrics based on their daily tasks, family lives, and occasionally, there would be the romantic song as well. The farmers were mostly male, so they were not the most emotional with their songs. As girls began to write songs themselves, there was an increase in the romantic styles of songs. These songs consisted of lyrics referred to as “boliyan”, and they would only be accompanied by a dhol, a double sided drum to set the beat of the music.

Bhangra became popular in the start of the 20th century. In the early 1900s, the music had spread across the country from Punjab and gained popularity. It wasn’t growing internationally just yet due to several new music being introduced in the western world such as jazz. Moving into the 1950s and 60s, there was a great migration of Punjabis moving to the UK. They were mostly male, and they moved with their relatives and friends in groups of 10-20. The hope was that they would be able to find jobs and be able to provide for their families back home by returning after a few years. However, while they are there, they began to miss home. They began to miss all aspects of the culture from food to the music. In order to hone in on that culture, the Punjabis began singing and dancing in small groups. Eventually, they began to formalize and meet in bigger groups. They would also begin to perform at numerous public events such as community celebrations.

It was at this moment that people on a completely different continent began to hear the amazing beat of Bhangra. They began to spread this beat across the country, and it started changing slightly. Some argue in a better way that keeps up with the changing world while others wish it would remain traditional. Regardless, the music became more contemporary and the dhol beat would be paired with other instruments. It was further introduced into movies, and then music videos began to be created with Punjabi music. Now, the Bhangra and Punjabi music you hear is now a compilation of several styles such as the traditional Bhangra, hip-hop, rap, and more. All of this together still produces a unique style of Punjabi music.