Think of it as Southeast Asian hip hop that began as a martial art.
Saturday evening, 10 local teams of dancers will offer their best interpretation of bhangra, an energetic traditional dance that captures the sights and sounds of Punjab.
N.C. State’s Sikh Student Association and the Gamma Chapter of Delta Sigma Iota Fraternity will host Virsa Punjab Da 2013, the groups’ annual bhangra competition at Carolina Theater in Durham. Performances begin at 6 p.m.
Since 2007, the Sikh Student Association and Delta Sigma Iota have teamed to bring a taste of culture from the northern Indian state of Punjab to the Triangle area. Virsa Punjab Da translates literally to “heritage of Punjab,” and the competition emphasizes Punjab culture, traditions and values.
Tickets cost $20, but Virsa Punjab Da donates proceeds – $15,000 in six years – to charity.
According to Charan Mohan, a sophomore in biochemistry and co-chair of VPD 2013, the mission of the competition reflects the mission of the two groups behind it. “While SSA is religious and DSI is not, preserving tradition and our culture is what drives us,” Mohan said. “We practice a lot of what Gandhi taught.”
Punjab, meaning “land of five rivers,” lies on the border of India and Pakistan. Punjab’s original borders reached from Delhi to Afghanistan, and today the province is noted for some of South Asia’s more renowned poetry, literature and music. Bhangra dates back centuries to celebrations of special holidays. Today, the dance defies gender and class barriers to unite all of South Asian society – in Punjab and the rest of the world.
Bhangra represents more than a hobby for Daljinder Bhangoo, a senior in biological sciences and co-chair of Virsa Punjab Da 2013. A member of NCSU Bhangra, Bhangoo says she and her teammates practice for the annual competition about three hours daily.
“Bhangra is a very high-energy, very expressive dance,” Bhangoo said. “It actually developed from a form of martial arts, and it’s easy to see the influence. You can compare it to hip-hop because it’s all about having confidence and power while infusing it with grace.”
Each year, teams that want to compete must send festival organizers a video of the group’s performance. Organizers have picked 10 teams, representing both college and community groups, to compete.
The festival-competition also welcomes special guest and Punjabi musician Ricky Jatt. Jatt is widely known for his diverse musicality, often infusing Punjabi folk music with hip-hop, house and alternative rock.
While Indians commonly use bhangra to celebrate a holiday, the annual Durham festival uses bhangra to make a difference.
According to Mohan, the festival-competition will benefit victims of a shooting. On Aug. 5, 2012, a gunman fatally shot six people and wounded four others in a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. The community and temple plan to donate 2013 festival proceeds to the victims.
“It just seemed to fit,” Mohan said. “Bhangra is from Punjab, and Sikhism was born there. So adopting them as our philanthropy for the show was pretty natural.”
In the past, Virsa Punjab Da gave money to Nishkam Seva, which provides vocational assistance and rehabilitation projects to some of India’s most helpless people, including widows, orphans and the poor.
After almost a year of planning, Mohan and Bhangoo are ready to pass on that legacy.
“It’s been a lot of really hard work,” Bhangoo said. “It hasn’t been easy at all, but to say it’s not worth, it would be absolutely wrong. Knowing we’re coming together as a community and as a family to make a difference makes it all worthwhile.”
Details:
The Carolina Theater
309 W. Morgan St.
Durham, North Carolina
27701
Ticket Prices are as follows:
General Admission-$15
Student Tickets-$10
VIP Tickets-$50
At the Door-$20
For Reservations:
Simran Mann: (336) 420-5367.
Manmeet Cheema (919) 986-0319
