Kudos offer Bhangra DJ’s for Weddings, but what exactly is Bhangra music?

Bhangra dance is based on music from a Punjabi folk drum,folk singing, a single-stringed instrument called the iktar, the tumbi and the chimta. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language called bolis. In Punjabi folk music, the dhol’s smaller cousin, the dholki, was nearly always used to provide the main beat. Nowadays, the dhol is used more frequently. Additional percussion, including tabla, is less frequently used in bhangra as a solo instrument but is sometimes used to accompany the dhol and dholki. This rhythm serves as a common thread that allows for easy commingling between Punjabi folk and reggae, as demonstrated by such artists as the UK’s Apache Indian.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, several Punjabi Sikh bands from the United Kingdom set the stage for bhangra to become a form of music instead of being just a dance. The success of many Punjabi artists based in the United Kingdom created a fanbase, inspired new artists, and found large amounts of support in both Pakistani and Indian Punjab. These artists, some of whom are still active today, include, Heera Group, Alaap band, A.S. Kang and Apna Sangeet. Folk singers of Punjab have also contributed to the development of bhangra in the UK. These artists are Alam Lohar and Yamla Jatt.

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Bhangra Outfits

Traditional men wear a chaadra while doing bhangra. A chaadra is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Men also wear a kurta, which is a long Indian-style shirt. In addition, men wear pagadi (also known as turbans) to cover their heads.

In modern times, men also wear turla, the fan attached to the pagadi. Colorful vests are worn above the kurta. Fumans (small balls attached to ropes) are worn on each arm.

Women wear a traditional Punjabi dress known as a salwar kameez, long baggy pants tight at the ankle (salwar) and a long colorful shirt (kameez). Women also wear chunnis, colorful pieces of cloth wrapped around the neck.

These items are all very colorful and vibrant, representing the rich rural colors of Punjab.^[17] Besides the above, the bhangra dress has different parts that are listed below in detail:

• Turla or torla, a fan-like adornment on the turban
• Pag (turban, a sign of pride/honor in Punjab). This is tied differently than the traditional turban one sees Sikhs wearing in the street. This turban has to be tied before each show.
• Kurta, similar to a silk shirt, with about four buttons, very loose with embroidered patterns
• Lungi or chadar, a loose loincloth tied around the dancer’s waist, which is usually very decorated
• Jugi, a waistcoat with no buttons
• Rumal, small “scarves” worn on the fingers. They look very elegant and are effective when the hands move during the course of bhangra performance

Kudos offer theming and events for Indian weddings and corporate occasions

Indian weddings are very bright events, filled with ritual and celebration, that continue for several days. They are generally not small affairs, with anywhere between 100 to 10,000 people attending. Oftentimes it is possible that many of the attendees are unknown to the bride and groom themselves. Though most Indian marriages are arranged, some couples in urban areas have what are known as “love marriages”, where the partners decide to marry each other without family involvement or assistance. The traditional Indian wedding is more about two families being brought together socially, with there being as much emphasis being on the families concerned coming closer, as the individuals involved.

Many of the wedding customs are common among Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and even Muslims. They are a combination of local, religious and family traditions.

Asian weddings are a mainstay in the social calendar of the whole community. Many wedding traditions which have originated in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have carried over to second and third generation immigrant populations in western countries such as the UK and United States. Increasingly younger Asian couples are starting to incorporate Western features into their weddings such as speeches the first dance as well as the traditional wedding cake.

Kanyadaan

During kanyadaan, the bride’s parents give their daughter away in marriage. The groom makes three promises – to be just (dharma), earn sufficiently to support his family, (artha) and love his wife (kama). He repeats these vows thrice in the presence of Agni (the sacred fire) and all who are gathered there.

Bariksha

Bariksha is when the bride’s parents have informally shown intentions that they want a particular groom, and the groom and his family have agreed. Retracting at the end of this stage is frowned upon but is acceptable. Once the wedding has been decided on by both sides, the bride’s family goes and does Badcheka/ Bariksha of the groom. This is when the bride’s father and brothers go to the groom’s side with sweets (including a coconut) and some pooja items like rice and turmeric. This ceremony is a token gesture to confirm the alliance and signifies that the groom is now “taken” and can no longer look for other prospective brides.

Tilak

Tilak involves the bride’s parents traveling to the groom’s family home to formalise the relationship. A large feast is organised by the groom’s family to celebrate this occasion. Only a nominal number of members of the bride’s family are present (usually only very close relatives, often in tens of numbers). Typically, the female marriage proposal is very rare.

Byaha Haath

Byaha Haath: This ceremony signifies the purifying of the mind, body and soul of bride and groom. This daytime ceremony prepares both of them for the nuptials. ‘Uptan’ is a mixed paste of sandalwood, turmeric and rose water which is applied by seven unmarried female members of the families to the faces, hands and feet of the bride and groom. After this ceremony the bride and the groom are not allowed to step outside the house before the actual wedding.

Flower bed ceremony

In the flower bed ceremony, the bride wears a lot of floral ornaments and the marriage bed is decorated with flowers by the groom’s family. This is the night of consummation. In Muslim marriages, this takes place on the night of the wedding. In Hindu marriages, this takes place on the night of the reception.