Disrespecting Props.

[Navkarn]

Next thing you know they'll be telling us to be respectin our women.

LOL

 

[Aaron.B]

they are wooden objects, they have no significance.

A dhol is also a wooden object

it's also not a prop ... try instrument champ.

womp womp womp

hahahahahahhaha navkarn

 

[Saleem]

if i were to tell you where Chikkey actually came from, you all would laugh your pants off...it's actually quite a funny story.

Story time, everyone gather around the fire and old uncle Gobs will tell us a story!


PS - Kinnell I was travelling.. I'm probably the biggest addict otherwise lol

 

[Jungly_Jatt]

Man there is no differnce between india an us. It's your subiyaachaar you shouldn't disrepct regardless. As I always say to my team "If people mutha tekh harmoniums, dhols, books, stages, madaan, religous books (dont wanna say anytype of name to start more drama) but out of all honestly what ever you do doesnt matter if its shooting hoops to doign bhangra you should have respect for the art that gave u so much respect.

And yes i do kiss my kunda, shikaa, kato, chimta, dhol before i go on stage. I do mutha tekh all props at our academy even the mixer that plays our music. so before calling things wooden objects or piece of wood u can throw on the ground remember every1's beliefs are different. If you cant respect that put in to better terms were it does not make you sound like moron.

 

[rajkaran]

Everyone's making some very good points here...

...but if you look at it from a competitive stance, does dropping/tossing/hurling/sliding "props" really add anything to a team's routine? At the moment, I would argue that it doesn't, which is why I'm more inclined to not do it...


and yes, modern teams respect "props" too

 

[Saleem]

does dropping/tossing/hurling/sliding "props" really add anything to a team's routine?

If you notice in SIAC's and PCBCA's routines, it's done for convenience and flow of the routine. They immediately went from a with-prop move to a without-prop move. They didnt sacrificing formation or having to all go to the edge of the stage.

 

[rajkaran]

does dropping/tossing/hurling/sliding "props" really add anything to a team's routine?

If you notice in SIAC's and PCBCA's routines, it's done for convenience and flow of the routine. They immediately went from a with-prop move to a without-prop move. They didnt sacrificing formation or having to all go to the edge of the stage.

Hmm...can't check the video just yet, but I see what you mean. However, one can again argue, "Was that completely necessary?"...and then from there I think we can get into a huge discussion about visual aesthetics and performance and whatnot...but I'd rather not lol I HAVE TO PACK!!! I'M GOING HOME

 

[MundeNyDe]

whas the storry?

BEE TEE DUBS!
it's not that all props have cultural significance directly, it's that they are used in a tradition that we all respect that we should take care of them.
if i were to tell you where Chikkey actually came from, you all would laugh your pants off...it's actually quite a funny story.

 

[Govind]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

Bhangra scene from "Jagte Raho" (1956)

You can see Manohar Deepak come in at around 45 seconds. His brother Avtar Deepak is the guy Govind is probably talking about. He was a great dancer too and a really nice man who did alot of social and political work after he stopped dancing, my dad has lots of stories about them an since they are our relatives. I met their kids and grand kids last time they told me random stories of republic day parades and meeting Bollywood stars and politicians. The town we are from, Sunam, had a large Muslim population pre Partition and apparently there were a dancing fakirs whose samadhi Manohar and Avtar used to visit for blessings before big performances and shows. I went and asked for good grades, it worked.

 

[Kapil]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

Bhangra scene from "Jagte Raho" (1956)

You can see Manohar Deepak come in at around 45 seconds. His brother Avtar Deepak is the guy Govind is probably talking about. He was a great dancer too and a really nice man who did alot of social and political work after he stopped dancing, my dad has lots of stories about them an since they are our relatives. I met their kids and grand kids last time they told me random stories of republic day parades and meeting Bollywood stars and politicians. The town we are from, Sunam, had a large Muslim population pre Partition and apparently there were a dancing fakirs whose samadhi Manohar and Avtar used to visit for blessings before big performances and shows. I went and asked for good grades, it worked.

1:50...the next new khunda move to enter the scene lol

Govind, yea I have noticed the no handle india saaps....why don't they just use handles (other than tradition)-- is there any benefit such as better dexterity or quickness maybe?

I personally believe we should treat props with a minimum of decency if not respect. I used to never touch a prop with my feet, as I was brought up doing matha tek to books and what not, bu am less anal now. I think when teams straight up chuck props it can be distracting anyways and you'll face several risks (not going offstage, hitting someone etc) so just find a balance.

I'm not sure we should look for what's done in India etc I think we should do what WE believe is right...although our roots lie there, we must also note that we in North America are building a new paradigm of bhangra (which sometimes some (usually lower-key) Indian teams also copy)...in essence it is as though we are building the future of bhangra together

 

[Govind]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

Bhangra scene from "Jagte Raho" (1956)

You can see Manohar Deepak come in at around 45 seconds. His brother Avtar Deepak is the guy Govind is probably talking about. He was a great dancer too and a really nice man who did alot of social and political work after he stopped dancing, my dad has lots of stories about them an since they are our relatives. I met their kids and grand kids last time they told me random stories of republic day parades and meeting Bollywood stars and politicians. The town we are from, Sunam, had a large Muslim population pre Partition and apparently there were a dancing fakirs whose samadhi Manohar and Avtar used to visit for blessings before big performances and shows. I went and asked for good grades, it worked.

THAT IS HOT! you don't know how excited i am to hear that you're from sunam and that you are related to them....that's totally baller...they are the reason why we even have things like competitions and bhangra teams! they were the original THE BHANGRA TEAM ~

 

[Meistro]

what I find really funny is that a lot of teams who preach respect of props actually don't - behind the scenes that is (practices, dressing rooms, etc). This is all a show. Nobody really practices these values. Its all a facade. What you see on stage sometimes not even what the team values. Just my opinion.

 

[Meistro]

And Manohar Deepak had the sickest Musch/Dhari combo ever. I saw this vid on youtube like 3 years ago, but didn't know who the guy was til now. Thanks comton for sharing your knowledge!

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

THAT IS HOT! you don't know how excited i am to hear that you're from sunam and that you are related to them....that's totally baller...they are the reason why we even have things like competitions and bhangra teams! they were the original THE BHANGRA TEAM ~

It is random as heck I know. My dad's family is from Patiala for the last 2 generations but before that my great grandmother was born and raised there and the Deepaks were her cousins. I was there in 05 saw old photos of him, his brothers Balwinder and Avtar and Balbir Sekhon dancing at random places. The grandkids and grandnephews are pretty good dancers themselves, they totally overshadowed my Michael Jackson impersonation at the wedding we attended. Another random fact, Sunam is also the birthplace of Shaheed Udham Singh and there is a museum in the house he lived. Pretty tight to visit.

edit: Govind did you have a chance to interview Manohar Deepak for your research before he died? He passed away in Late 2006 I think, I wish I would have asked him more questions about actual origins of bhangra instead of focusing on how cool it must have been to meet Raj Kapoor.

 

[Aaron.B]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

this guy knows his folk bhangra history

 

[Karan V]

dhol and other instruments are treated respectfully also cuz they're delicate. saaps and katos are instruments too but are made for that kind of handling. they're rugged and strong and maybe they were intentionally made that way back in the days for that purpose. who knows
just my opinion

 

[footballforlife]

I'll make it quick b/c I have a competition to judge! haha

This was told to me in Khokhar Fauji pindh in Gurdaspur by Master Harbhajan Singh, one of the few people left in the world who still practices folk bhangra and who has been there from the very beginning of bhangra being put on stage!

The late Manohar Deepak, one of the first few men responsible for bhangra coming to the stage (in the 1950s...) and famous choreographer of the first bhangra performances ever put in movies (Naya Daur, Jagte Raho), and his brother were practicing at their home and the rack on which they would dry their clothes broke. So they took it, and started messing around...and it turned it into a chhikkaa! If you've ever practiced with Punjab teams or seen a performance live, you will notice that the chhikkey they use don't actually have handles! They grasp them with only 3 fingers!

Bhangra scene from "Jagte Raho" (1956)

You can see Manohar Deepak come in at around 45 seconds. His brother Avtar Deepak is the guy Govind is probably talking about. He was a great dancer too and a really nice man who did alot of social and political work after he stopped dancing, my dad has lots of stories about them an since they are our relatives. I met their kids and grand kids last time they told me random stories of republic day parades and meeting Bollywood stars and politicians. The town we are from, Sunam, had a large Muslim population pre Partition and apparently there were a dancing fakirs whose samadhi Manohar and Avtar used to visit for blessings before big performances and shows. I went and asked for good grades, it worked.

Govind, yea I have noticed the no handle india saaps....why don't they just use handles (other than tradition)-- is there any benefit such as better dexterity or quickness maybe?

I've only ever really used the saaps without handles, and they are much harder to control, I think. It builds better intuition on the correct use was the reason I was given as to why we had to use those..

 

[faizan]

I think this is just silly. First, what meistro said is true, all the "Respect" that 85% of you talk about, is a scam. Second, there is a line between respecting bhangra/virsa, and then there is thinking you are hollier than though, and arguing that throwing a prop hard is disrespectful. If you think throwing a prop hard is disrespectful, then why do you throw props on the FLOOR where we step with our feet? Shouldn't we put the saap away carefully on a "non-floor" location? Shouldn't we put out katos away nicely somewhere clean? Come on, give me a break. We can throw props on the floor, but we can't slam them, because THEN it becomes disprespetful? Teams in India respect the pugh, the stage, the dhol...they THROW props, hard sometimes, why? Because they know it's not that serious. If you support "sliding, placing, or lightly putting down," it's bloody silly if you are against slamming.

 

[ameetkhabra]

I think this is just silly. First, what meistro said is true, all the "Respect" that 85% of you talk about, is a scam. Second, there is a line between respecting bhangra/virsa, and then there is thinking you are hollier than though, and arguing that throwing a prop hard is disrespectful. If you think throwing a prop hard is disrespectful, then why do you throw props on the FLOOR where we step with our feet? Shouldn't we put the saap away carefully on a "non-floor" location? Shouldn't we put out katos away nicely somewhere clean? Come on, give me a break. We can throw props on the floor, but we can't slam them, because THEN it becomes disprespetful? Teams in India respect the pugh, the stage, the dhol...they THROW props, hard sometimes, why? Because they know it's not that serious. If you support "sliding, placing, or lightly putting down," it's bloody silly if you are against slamming.

dude has an extremely valid point. but then again its really how everyone perceives it themself.