Life@FTMS: Bhangra Dancing
Overview

2008
FTMS Sports Carnival 2008
FTMS Swim Day Mar 2008
English Programme Winter Camp Jan 2008
The Star Education Fair Jan 2008

2007
FTMS Nite December 2007
Christmas Party December 2007
Orphanage Visit December 2007
FTMS Sports Carnival 2007
Mr & Ms FTMS Contest 2007
Escape to Ubin July 2007
Basketball July 2007
Meet the CEO 4th July 2007
Lord Mayor of London Visit 2007

2006
English Year-End Party 2006
Academic Year-End Party 2006
FTMS Dinner 2006
Half-Life Competition
ACCA Premier Plus 2006
FTMS Sentosa Trip
ACCA Lunch Cruise
Warcraft Competition

2005 and before
Bhangra Dancing
Christmas Party 2005
2003 Retreat@Bintan

Bhangra is both a lively dance which is from the region of Punjab, now divided between North India and Pakistan, and the musical accompaniment to the dance. A variety of popular music, also called Bhangra, has developed from these traditions and has a keen youth following around the world.

Bhangra is a fusion of music, singing and the beat of the dhol drum, a single stringed instrument called the iktar (ektara), the tumbi and an instrument reminiscent of an enlarged pair of tongs called chimta. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language called bolis. They relate to harvest celebration, love, patriotism or current social issues.

Today the word Bhangra is more associated with the style of dance pop music derived from the above mentioned musical accompaniment. The dhol's smaller cousin, the dholaki, is sometimes used instead of or in addition to the dhol. Additional percussion, including tabla, is frequently used in bhangra.

Bhangra has always been popular amongst Punjabi people all over the world, but it has enjoyed a resurgence over the last ten years or so. Its raw traditional sound is often supplemented with contemporary musical styles. In its more recent history, bhangra has been fused with disco, reggae, techno, house, rap, ragga and now jungle. In fact, these new styles have been so successful that modern bhangra is now being re-exported back to India. Most of this tends to come from the UK Desi scene, a subculture found amongst the South Asian diaspora.

Here some students are learning Bangra dancing.