BHANGRA INSTRUMENTS

Bhangra music is centuries old, perhaps as old as the Indus Valley Civilisation, based around the cities of Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Ropar. The root of the word “bhangra” is much disputed. Some say the word comes from ‘Bhang’ - a milky white liquid made from the Cannabis plant. The theory is that dancers may have consumed this in liberal amounts resulting in wild, energetic dance moves. Other researchers hotly dispute this interpretation. However the word is defined, Bhangra was and is essentially a display of male prowess, a fertility rite punctuated by screams and shouts. Hoi Hoi, Balle Balle, Shava Shava, Bachke, Hareepa and Brrrr-aaah! - the latter a vocalised trumpet blow. Down the centuries specific musical instruments became integral to Bhangra’s sound; the most iconic being the Dhol and Dholak, which provide the beat. The Dhol is a double sided, barrel shaped drum, a high-bass sound derived by beating it with two sticks. The width of a dhol skin is about fifteen inches, and the dhol player or Dholi holds his instrument with a strap around his neck. The most common rhythm played on the Dhol is the eight beat Chaal; many who think they do not know Bhangra would still find instantly recognisable. The dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru are instruments that produce a spectrum of drum beats, but with varying amounts of bass. The Alghozey is a double barreled flute traditionally played by goat herders in the Punjab, but in Bhangra it is used to provide a melodic or hypnotic “drone” common to many forms of Eastern music, and in the west heard from bagpipes and harmoniums. Other Bhangra instruments include the tumbi, sarangi, sapera, supp, and chimta. The tumbi, famously mastered by Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila, is a high-tone, single-string instrument. Although it has only one string, mastering the tumbi takes many years. The Sarangi is a multi-stringed instrument, somewhat similar to the violin. The Sapera produces a beautiful, high-pitched stringy beat, while the Supp and Chimta add extra, light sound to Bhangra music.