If you’re social, into music or are just looking to try something different on a Saturday night, give a Bhangra jam (a.k.a. “brown jams”) a try.
What’s a bhangra jam?
Basically, it’s a dance party with blaring, pulsing, Punjabi music. My first introduction to bhangra music was at an Indian friend’s wedding years ago – which was typically the only place you could hear these tunes. Originating out of Punjab India, bhangra music was traditionally played during harvest festivals and weddings. As Punjabi populations migrated globally, so too has this music. As South Asian cultures continue to influence Western food, movies (Bollywood is alive and well), fashion and design, bhangra music has also gained more recognition. In the last decade, it has evolved as a popular global sound, with musicians fusing reggae, hip hop and house styles to these heavy drum beats.
Screwing in the Lightbulb…
Founders of Toronto based ‘Luv To Bhang’, Rav Double AA, (DJ/Producer) and Manny Brar (founder of Desi Wear) wanted to make this music more accessible. They also wanted to banish the stigma associated with it. You know what I’m talkin’ about – what bhangraholics jokingly describe as dance moves consisting of “screwing in the lightbulb and windshield wipers”. But bhangra is much more than that if you’ve got music in your soul and just want to dance.
Rav Double AA spinning some sick bhangra. Image courtesy: LuvtoBhang.com
‘Luv To Bhang’ bhangra jams are unlike other brown jams. Double AA is the live DJ spinning tunes, accompanied by the percussion stylings of Paul ‘The Drummer’ Nanuwa, a dhol player or other instrumentation.
With each Luv To Bhang event, attendance grows and increasingly, with the non-Asian crowd. Music is music and good beats are good beats. Experience it for yourself to see how this music transcends culture, geography and race for a bhanging good time!
Been to a bhangra jam before? Tell us about it.