Bhangra music!

Bhangra was born sometime between the 14th and 15th centuries and is now regarded to be the one of the oldest folk dances in the world. Originating from the state of Punjab, split between India and Pakistan, Bhangra is the culmination of the hard season of harvest when farmers celebrate by singing and dancing to Bhangra songs and beats and thanking the heavens for what rich grain they have reaped. The music and dance was also performed during sewing celebrations.

In the early 1980s, Punjabi expatriates living in Great Britain developed it into a British musical genre. In this era, the dhol - the double barelled drum banged with two sticks - is the foundation of Bhangra events world-wide, whether it be a live stage performance or the recording of the latest Bhangra song…. no Bhangra event can do without it! Bhangra and its modernised sound still retains its classic and raw elements but also utilises the modern instrumentation of music and language, producing Bhangra songs that can appease any type of audience.

This hybrid of traditional Indian music fused with a range of Hip-Hop, Reggae, Rap, R 'n' B, and Pop beats gives it a more universal sound and appeal - drawing in a wider array of fans. With the constant hard-hitting dhol beats and tumbi strings leading the way for the vocals, Bhangra songs portray a whole plethora of emotions tempting the listener to throw their arms in the air and make tracks towards the dance floor.

The hi-energy beats and the contagious rhythms of Punjabi melody continue to spread themselves to a global audience as the music keeps traveling to shores further and further afield. The up-tempo vibes of the music and the panache of the artists continue to popularise this music genre which is rapidly making Bhangra an essential and integral part of global musical culture.

Malkit Singh

He is probably the No.1 Bhangra act in the world today. His 17th album, "Millennium Mixes" represents a colossal union of the musical and lyrical presence that has kept him at the forefront of the Bhangra music scene.

After the worldwide and platinum successes of Midas Touch, Forever Gold and Upfront, Malkit Singh and his 'Golden Star' troop now head for his 28th foreign tour. He has proved himself in the mainstream with his glorious debut on the Apache Indian single Independent Girl - taking Punjabi music, culture and gospel to realms yet unknown.

In the past 18 months, Malkit 'the Golden Voice of Punjab' Singh has been on touring around the world, has received honours from the former Prime Minister of India, recorded and filmed a new single with Apache Indian, but has still found the time to compose and produce new music. San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, Toronto, Greece, Dubai, Muscat, Trinidad and India have witnessed the man live during his exhibitionism of the traditional folk music of Punjab.

The album Upfront totally rewrote the musical history books. It was the renaissance that Bhangra had been waiting for. It has since become the biggest selling Punjabi album in history, and spawned the super hit Tootak (Hey Jamalo). The track was awarded the honor of being The Most Outstanding Track of the Bhangra Era in 1993 justifying its longevity.

Over the years he has accumulated a wide range of awards for his songs, his live act, sales and for individual services to music. One of the most distinguished accolades was presented in 1997, The Recognition of the City of Los Angeles for Services to the Indian Community.

Amongst the world renowned arenas, Malkit Singh has performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, The Lincoln Center in New York, The National Cricket Stadium in New Delhi, India (to over 12,000 fans), the Queen Elizabeth Halls and The Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai. Many of these performances have been debut stage shows for a Bhangra artist still yet to be equalled by any of Malkit Singh's modern day adversaries.

He is arguably one of the greatest stars of Bhangra music in the world today, the idol of all generations and holder of the unofficial title as the King of Bhangra. This Punjabi music icon has been catapulted from virtual obscurity in the early eighties to this, his overwhelming status as one of the pioneers of Bhangra music all within a short musical lifetime.
Now as he embarks on his travels to promote his latest album of his career, Malkit Singh gives Little India an insight into what makes him the original Golden Star.

Twenty-seven countries have already experienced the live Malkit Singh phenomenon and he has set foot on some of the biggest and most renowned stages world-wide. His songs are the heartbeat of Punjabi’s around the globe with his multitude of reminiscent gems etched in their minds forever. To put the icing on his own celebrated cake, he has most recently been awarded the Best Male Vocalist in the UK for the third year running, and his duet with Apache Indian has just debuted in the mainstream market. As his new album Akh Larr Gayee nestles at the higher regions of music charts everywhere, is Malkit Singh set to emblazon his name to places yet unknown to Bhangra?

This is a tremendous compliment as well as a being a detailed analysis of "Akh Larr Gayee" There’s much more to it apart from that but that is only discovered once you listen to it. It is aimed for the dance-floor but it also has a strong listening mood to it…fans who’ve bought it have said that it is an album that they can keep listening to without getting bored off it…that is a very encouraging thing to hear. It took over six months to record in total and I visited India a number of times to work on it. I think that because of its desi sound people have appreciated it more.
So much Bhangra music in this era is very fragile…what I mean is that it has no strength, power or depth…too many singers rely on one song to carry an album which is a very poor reflection on their talents. My album has had so much effort, time and input put into it that its natural qualities just ooze out. I wanted to bring back the desi style that originates from real Bhangra. My style is desi…it’s always been desi…my last two albums are musically different but my audience has always been desi and my fans want that old music, style and powerful lyrics. I think songs like Akh Larr Gayee..., Has Has Keh... and Patra de Duniaa... will become very popular with old and young alike.

The Music of Malkit Singh

Play Kinni Sohni (4.6MB) by Malkit Singh.

Acknowledgements

With permission from http://www.worldmusicportal.com/

Related Links

http://www.bhangra.org/

http://www.malkit.com/