Well hello BTF this is my first official discussion here on BTF....I have been following the bhangra scene for a very very young age, I use to compete when I was in grade 3 (1996-97) and this was when there were NO real competitions in to Toronto area...mostly just fundraiser and communiti events suhc as CAN. Sikh and every other team was either named Nachda Punjab or Gabroo Punjab...with the glitter vests spelling thier name on the back of them....i still continued to follow bhangra and see it grow, im sure many of you can agree with me that the bhangra scene has never been as competitive as its been for the past couple of year....and I only see it getting bigger and reaching great heights....
In the late 1990s teams didnt have the luxury of Youtube or facebook to see the different style out there, new choreography, and new techniques....i still remeber my very first performance, we used hockey stick wrapped in xmas wrapping paper as our kunday....ANYHOW I personally feel that it wasnt until Youtube that the bhangra scene got big...as one would assume...Me personally, and this is my personal opinion, I believe that there were two teams which revolutionized bhangra and helped make it what is is today....
KHALSA JUNCTION: brought the hype to competitions and displayed the 'california style,' although it it not respected by all, it was still a form of bhangra which i foundd very entertaining, creative, and full of surprises. Many teams followed this style of hard hitting moves and gimmicks...examples include GTA bhangra when they first came into the scene with their blue kurthai, Michigan, Sher Foundation, Cornell, UCLA, Nachdey Gabru, Duniya All Stars, Sher Foundation, and even SGPD when they went to Groundshaker 06 as Team India. I still remember the days when a team use to have jodi and were scene as a traditional team and NOT a competitve team....but that was until NJ went mainstream.
NACHDI JAWANI: I personally feel that this team has a brought a lot to the bhangra scene and has made it what it is today. I remember before they got mainstream, which I personally believe was at Bhangra Invasion 06 (their co-ed performance) and Bhangra Idols 06. They did what other 'traditional' teams could not do and that was gain the respect of the mainstream bhangra crowd. By no means am I saying they were the first team to have jodi, or the first to bring the traditional techniques to competitions, but I personally believe that they were the first ones to be successful at it and 'change' the way people looked at and judged bhangra.
There were other teams in the Toronto area that sought the same vision and style as NJ did, Shan-e-Punjab, Rhythm Boyz, Surrey India Arts Club, PPA, and even Chardi Jawani from back in the day....however they just did not do it on a large scale like Nachdi was able to do.......
Personally I am now waiting for another team to revolutionize bhangra (in North America), bring something completly new to the stage that WILL be respected by the audience, performers and judges... Dont get me wrong, I still find the bhangra competitions very entertaining showcasing great talent, but Ive heard from others they find them very repetitive.
Just my thoughts......Bhangra 4 Life
In the late 1990s teams didnt have the luxury of Youtube or facebook to see the different style out there, new choreography, and new techniques....i still remeber my very first performance, we used hockey stick wrapped in xmas wrapping paper as our kunday....ANYHOW I personally feel that it wasnt until Youtube that the bhangra scene got big...as one would assume...Me personally, and this is my personal opinion, I believe that there were two teams which revolutionized bhangra and helped make it what is is today....
KHALSA JUNCTION: brought the hype to competitions and displayed the 'california style,' although it it not respected by all, it was still a form of bhangra which i foundd very entertaining, creative, and full of surprises. Many teams followed this style of hard hitting moves and gimmicks...examples include GTA bhangra when they first came into the scene with their blue kurthai, Michigan, Sher Foundation, Cornell, UCLA, Nachdey Gabru, Duniya All Stars, Sher Foundation, and even SGPD when they went to Groundshaker 06 as Team India. I still remember the days when a team use to have jodi and were scene as a traditional team and NOT a competitve team....but that was until NJ went mainstream.
NACHDI JAWANI: I personally feel that this team has a brought a lot to the bhangra scene and has made it what it is today. I remember before they got mainstream, which I personally believe was at Bhangra Invasion 06 (their co-ed performance) and Bhangra Idols 06. They did what other 'traditional' teams could not do and that was gain the respect of the mainstream bhangra crowd. By no means am I saying they were the first team to have jodi, or the first to bring the traditional techniques to competitions, but I personally believe that they were the first ones to be successful at it and 'change' the way people looked at and judged bhangra.
There were other teams in the Toronto area that sought the same vision and style as NJ did, Shan-e-Punjab, Rhythm Boyz, Surrey India Arts Club, PPA, and even Chardi Jawani from back in the day....however they just did not do it on a large scale like Nachdi was able to do.......
Personally I am now waiting for another team to revolutionize bhangra (in North America), bring something completly new to the stage that WILL be respected by the audience, performers and judges... Dont get me wrong, I still find the bhangra competitions very entertaining showcasing great talent, but Ive heard from others they find them very repetitive.
Just my thoughts......Bhangra 4 Life
