Boston Bhangra - Catching Up With Rohit Bhambi

From the farms in rural Punjab in India to the top of the charts in the United Kingdom since the 70’s to widespread enthusiasm in the USA in recent times, Bhangra has sure evolved as a unique brand of disco/house/world music.

Bhangra can liven up any party with its trademark "chak de phatte" slogan, (which literally translated means "raise the floorboards"). Bhangra’s lyrics were traditionally rooted in gritty social realism reflecting life in Punjabi communities. The high energy Bhangra started out as celebration of a good harvest, even though you are more likely to see people, young and old gyrate to the beat of the dhol at weddings and parties these days. This dance has, for centuries managed to transcend musical and language barriers. Fueled by a restless second generation South Asian youth in Britain and the USA Bhangra is now a club phenom with DJS popularizing the mixing of traditional beats with hip-hop, reggae, hip-hop and techno elements.

The bhangra rage has spilled into sizable Indian communities around the country and Boston itself has many Bhangra teams. One of the most talented Bhangra teams in the USA ' Boston Bhangra' calls Boston their home and we recently chatted with one of the founders of Boston Bhangra, Mr. Rohit Bhambi. Rohit’s voice throbs with excitement and anticipation as he talks about the upcoming Bhangra competition that he and his team is organizing on November 13th, at the John Hancock Hall in Boston.

First off, tell us about Boston Bhangra?
Boston Bhangra is a non-profit dance and youth mentorship organization based in Boston, MA. The organization was started in 2000 and has been growing steadily since. It consists of young professionals who come from all over the world, as well as college and graduate students. Boston Bhangra receives support and membership from Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Tufts, Boston University and many other universities. We also participate in Bhangra competitions on an international level and are well recognized in the bhangra community. Some of our more recent competitions include: Bruin Bhangra, South Beach Bhangra, Southern Bhangra Stampede, Bhangra Fusion and the Zee TV International Bhangra Competition. In addition, we are heavily involved in local community service, teach Bhangra classes, and holds youth conferences.

How old were you when you first danced Bhangra?
I feel like I have been dancing bhangra from the time I was in my mothers womb! However, as far back as I can remember I have been doing bhangra of some sort. Over time, I have learned more and more about the dance, and have become a true student. We, at Boston Bhangra want to help preserve this precious dance, and that is why we do all the things that we're doing now.

I understand that Bhangra runs in your blood…how many members in your family are involved in Boston Bhangra?
My brother, my sister and I are all involved in Boston Bhangra. We are all part of the bhangra committee of Boston Bhangra. We always pull my mom on board as well.

How do you see Boston Bhangra bringing the community together through Bhangra?
Through its' international exposure through hip hop artists, and the emerging bhangra market, we feel that Bhangra has taken on a life of its own. The fact that people can teach classes, and have aerobic classes, etc based on this dance shows the fanfare behind it. The world is getting to know Bhangra, and Bhangra can be utilized to bring about even more cultural awareness. Southasian children within our community seem to be getting further and further away from southasian culture as they get older simply because they don't have a bond to the culture. We feel that Bhangra can help to revitalize that bond, and pull South asians back into their community and help to start their re-education of their motherland. Culture is an extremely important aspect of life, and we don't ever want the Southasian culture to dissipate.

Finally, tell us something about the competition, who is competing and who do you think should attend the show.
We are putting on this show to help showcase the Bhangra dance. We want people to be aware of this folk dance that has become so publicized. We are having 10 teams from all over North America compete, including Vancouver, Canada, California, Arizona, NY, and MA. These teams are all excited to showcase their skills and wow the crowd. As for attendance, anybody that wants to feel an electric environment produced by some of the most energetic dancers in North America will be in for a treat! Bhangra is a phenomenal dance, and anybody who comes, whether they be South Asian or not, will have a great time!

We are looking forward to a great competition in the heart of the historical city of Boston. We are putting together a great show that will be enjoyable for both the participants and the audience. We, having been to many competitions ourselves, know what these individuals look for in competitions: fun, organization, ease of travel, and of course, bhangra representation. We promise to bring you this and more, as we continually strive to bring excellence to the city of Boston and welcome teams from across the globe.

We will be placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd with $2000, $1000, $350, respectively. However, more importantly than the prize money, we promise to bring a high class competition with proper organization to bhangra. Our goal is to be one of the most recognized bhangra competition in the US, and given a few years, we will have that designation through proper organization, creativity, and planning.