Folk music of Punjab: Punjabi folk music (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੋਕ ਸੰਗੀਤ) is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of the Punjab region. There is a great repertoire of music from the time of birth through the different stages of joy and sorrow till death. The folk music invokes the traditions as well as the hardworking nature, bravery and many more things that the people of Punjab get from its gateway-to-India geographical location. Due to the large area with many sub-regions, the folk music has minor lingual differences but invokes the same feelings. The sub-regions, Malwa, Doaba, Majha, Pothohar, Puadh and hills areas, have numerous folk songs. Punjabi folk music is known for its fierce rivalry against Bhangra music which is a genre of Punjabi modern music invented in Britain by the Punjabi diaspora. Folk songs.Punjab has folk songs on birth, marriage, death, love, separation, beauty, social and economical status, village lifestyle, food, nature, bravery, folklores & folktales, folk romances, folk & historical heroes, festivals and many more. The songs of professional castes of Punjab are also included in the folk songs. They can be divided into the following categories: Occasions for singing Controversy Punjabi folk music is associated with a traditional lifestyle and culture. Many of the themes associated with the songs involve the promotion of the ills of Punjabi society such as the caste system and substance abuse as well as superstitious beliefs. Many revolutions in Punjab such as the Sikh revolution were in direct opposition of Punjabi folk songs. Life-cycle rituals.A large part of Punjabi folk songs presents the picture of incidents from birth to death relations, realitives also including the songs on other occasions, festivals and fairs. The songs by women represents their soft feelings, nature, hobbies and lower social status in limited circle while the songs by men represents their freedom, strength and hardworking. The folk songs starts from the birth of a child then name ceremony, marriage, relations, relatives and much more. There are many songs on the different stages of a marriage like Suhag, Ghorhian, Sehra, Sithnian. Suhag is related to bride while Ghorhian and Sehra are related to groom. A daughter's feelings have a special place in the Punjabi folk songs in which she address to his father asking to find her a better home, good people (in-laws) and many more. By length and mood, the different kinds of songs includes Suhag, Ghorhian, Bolian, Tappe, Sithnian, Chhand, Heara, Lorian etc. Fairs and festivals Every festive occasion has music associated with it. Lohri and Maghi are associated with the change of season while Visakhi is a harvest festival. Men dance Bhangra and women dance Giddha. The month of Sawan is one of great joy for females in which they celebrate the festival of Teeyan. The married ones come back to their parents' home and meet their family and friends and in an open ground they dance Giddha. They wear colorful dresses like Phulkari, and adorn their hands with Mehndi and glass bangles.
Types of textual themesRomanticJugni, Mahia, Tappe, Jindua, Dhola, Kafian, Dohre, Bolian, Sadda, Jhokan and the folk romances of Punjab region like Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnun are main folk love songs. Heer and Mirza are sung using traditional compositions. HeroicIn heroic or bravery, the folk song includes about the Punjabi heroes like Dulla Bhatti, Raja Rasalu, Jagga Jatt, S. Bhagat Singh, S. Udham Singh, Sucha Soorma and Jiona Maurh. ReligiousSongs about worship, religious ceremonies and festivals represents the religious feelings.Sikhism is closely related with music. The sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind, established the singers called Dhadis to sing the Gurbani, Vaars (English: heroic ballads) and other folk genres using the normally two folk instruments, Dhad and Sarangi.
Bhangra
Bhaṅgṛā (Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ (Gurmukhi) is a type of upbeat popular music associated with Punjabi culture. It was developed in England starting in the 1970s by people from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan as well as the twice immigrated African Punjabi forming the Punjabi diaspora. Bhangra was the name given to a musical synyhesis that drew from music of Punjab as well as contemperory British Music. Bhangra was killed off in the 1990s to create a new form of Punjabi folk music and hip hop known as folkhop. The roots of Bhangra music date back to the early 1980s, when several Punjabi bands started experimenting with Western styles as well as traditional Punjabi music. Significant amongst these were 'The Black Mist', 'The Shots', 'The Jambo Boys', and 'The Saathies'.However, the first recording artist/group of this type of music in the UK was Bhujhangy Group, founded by brothers Balbir Singh Khanpur and Dalbir Singh Khanpur in Birmingham in 1967. Bhujhangy Group's first major hit was "Bhabiye Akh Larr Gayee" in the early 1970s, released on Birmingham's Oriental Star Agencies label. This was the first song to combine traditional Asian music with modern western instruments, which would be followed by further developments of this in bhangra.