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| Songs
Of Teeyan |
| The
festival of Teeyan is an occasion for all married girls
to visit their parents for a few days, and thus enjoy
again the carefree days of their childhood. They run to
the swings on the peepal trees. It is fascinating to see
the earth all round becoming green again, the welcome
drops of rain falling, and the youthful girls in colourful
dresses. The girls sing songs and dance Giddlia. Songs
of Teeyan mostly speak of love, and are highly charged
with emotion. |
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The
peepal tree becomes the centre of attraction when the
girls swing on the ropes thrown on the tree and the
song goes.
"Dhan
bhag mera", peepal akhe;
"Kurian ne pingan paaian".
Sawan vich kurian ne
Pinghan asman Charhian.
"How
blessed am I", says peepal
"That the girls have hung rope-swings on me"
In the month of Sawan
Girls have swung their swings sky-high
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| Folk
Songs Of Battles |
Considering
that for centuries the Punjabis had to bear the
brunt of foreign attacks, some folk-songs have a
historical significance and reflect the attitude
of the entire community towards certain events.
The Punjab has been a frontier province and Punjabis
have always suffered from the aftereffects of foreign
invasions. Every invasion brought plunder, rape
and arson in its wake. There is a song which gives
a heart-rending description of the cruelty of a
marauder who forcibly carries away a beautiful young
lady. Her husband, father and brother, in spite
of their earnest efforts, fail to rescue her, and
the brave girl, instead of falling prey to that
brute's passion, burns herself to death. The entire
poignant tale is contained in a ballad.
The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali
created terror among the people of the Punjab. There
are some songs expressing their indignation towards
them. When the long enslaved Indians started their
fight for freedom from the British yoke, the offended
masters let loose upon them a bell of spiteful cruelty.
Some folk-songs refer to these movements of rebellion
in the Punjab. |
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| Modern
Punjabi Music |
| Its
a well known fact that Bhangra is now considered a part
of global culture. The sounds of Balle Balle and the Dhol
resonate from every nook and cranny in the finest international
clubs and discotheques. |
| Nowadays,
because of Punjabi influence worldwide, people perform
Bhangra in all parts of the world at occasions such as
weddings, receptions, and parties. Bhangra has evolved
from a dance and music only performed in the Punjab region,
to a popular style of music and dance that people perform
throughout South Asia and many parts of the world. |
| Bhangra
singers hail from many parts of the world. Many popular
artists from South Asia include Surjit Bindrakhia, Surinder
Shinda, Manmohan Warris, A.S. Kang, Jagmohan Kaur, Hans
Raj Hans, Kuldip Manak, Gurdass Mann, Ranjit Mani, Sardool
Sikander, Daler Mehndi, Sarabjeet Cheema, Harbhajan Mann,
and Amar Arshi. |
In
the West, there are many popular artists. From United
States and Canada, there are artists such as Sangeet Group
of California, Jazzy Bains, and Bhinda Jatt. From England,
there are DCS, Malkit Singh, B21, Safri Boyz, and Dippa.
Bhangra is truly becoming more popular worldwide and people
of non-Punjabi background are listening to and performing
Bhangra. |
| Universities
and other organizations are holding annual Bhangra dance
competitions in many of the main cities of the United
States, Canada, and England. At these competitions, young
Punjabis, people of different South Asian background,
and people with no South Asian background compete. It
is evident that every year Bhangra becomes more popular
and known among many different types of people worldwide. |
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Punjabi
Music & Artists
