Bhangra

[Akalifauj]

15 minutes ago, Ranjeet01 said:

They don't. Punjabi youth in the west does not need Bhangra to behave badly nor do they have to understand Punjabi at all to behave badly.

If you are talking about Punjabi youth emigrated very recently or ones that have fresh off the boat parents that speak broken English then they would be understandable.

This behaviour stems from African American culture. The flipped baseball caps, the gold chains, the stupid hand signs, that is all black culture.

Bhangra in it's corrupt ways started back in the 1980's. That is over 30 years ago. The girls that slutted their way are now in their late 40's nearly 50 with grown up daughters of their own.

Sikh youth have more influences than bhangra and not all of it is rooted in Punjabi culture.

 

Punjabi youth born in the West understand bhangra music.  

Whether they need bhangra music is not the issue.  In there cars, house parties, school dances, reception, etc Punjabi youth go extra crazy when a bhangra song comes on.  The effect of bhangra music is similar if not more on Punjabi youth. 

Since they are Punjabi, they hold bhangra as their culture and have a special for it in their ways.  Countless times have Punjabi youth got upset because a white guy is making fun of bhangra.  They take it personally, yet the same is not true for rap, hip hop, rnb.  Punjabi youth make fun of it themselves and could care less if some white guy is making fun of "black" music.

[simran345]

14 minutes ago, Preeet said:

Honestly, I understand what you are saying, but it is IMPOSSIBLE (and somewhat unethical) to stop them. It is like saying that we need to shut down alcohol stores or even smoke shops, which are bad but the only thing we can do is just educate our families that it is not worth it to spend time through those ways. Most parents I know that are Indian are the ones who expose their kids to these songs anyways, through bollywood etc, so I doubt they care.

If there's a song I don't like, I make a point of commenting on the singers fb page, and there are others that do it too.  So it doesn't just stay within the family. Not only do the kids see them but also the parents.  That creates awareness and reading does make somebody think twice or from a different perspective. 

For example, take that case of the young lady that was shot on stage not so long ago. A lot of people had a go at the singers and it did make them think or shake their conscious about what they are producing. It's better than doing nothing. Same with alcohol and drugs awareness, Sikh Youth Project are covering that side and creating awareness, trying to save lives. So yes it can be done.

[Ranjeet01]

24 minutes ago, Akalifauj said:

Punjabi youth born in the West understand bhangra music.  

Whether they need bhangra music is not the issue.  In there cars, house parties, school dances, reception, etc Punjabi youth go extra crazy when a bhangra song comes on.  The effect of bhangra music is similar if not more on Punjabi youth. 

Since they are Punjabi, they hold bhangra as their culture and have a special for it in their ways.  Countless times have Punjabi youth got upset because a white guy is making fun of bhangra.  They take it personally, yet the same is not true for rap, hip hop, rnb.  Punjabi youth make fun of it themselves and could care less if some white guy is making fun of "black" music.

Punjabi youth go crazy for the dhol, the beat and the rythm not really the lyric.

Bhangra these days is basically appropriated black music with dhol, tumbi with Punjabi lyrics.

From your writings, I gather you are from Canada or U.S. If I am not mistaken.

I am from the UK and was around when Bhangra was the rage in it's heyday in the 80's . The reality is that it is old hat.

 

 

 

[Ranjeet01]

51 minutes ago, simran345 said:

There is quite a bit one can do to make singers aware of what they are releasing is creating negativity for youth. Yes people have freedom to listen to what they want to, but also it's up to the older ones or those that can see where the Bhangra scene is heading towards, to create awareness of the negativity and effects of it. That's what social media is for to air one's opnions. 

Why are we worried? Because it's our kids that are listening to bakwas and getting brainwashed. Just because they may not be from our families, they are still our youth. And they shouldn't be told once only, how is that going to make any difference. Besides telling somebody not to do something isn't going work. It's got to be done in a creative way, so the youth listen to it themselves and then think about it, which would sway their taste in the type of songs they listen to. 

The other thing is most of us on here have been through that phase, listening to rubbish songs, or we may still be listening to them, but it's how they effect somebody's minds that needs to be considered. It's the singers that need to be told, as they are in it for the money only. They don't care about others kids getting into bad company as long as it's not their own, and their pockets are filled. They keep saying they only produce songs that are in demand. What a load of nonsense that is, there's some singers that sing songs you can listen to within a family setting, so obviously that's not the case of demand and supply. So why can't those singers do the same. Because it's them that set this scene for the Punjabi community of drugs, guns, flashy cars,etc etc, trying to compete with English mainstream music. 

The Bhangra industry now is so messed up, that there's no meanings to the lyrics. They don't even make sense, or are one liners only with the same tune and no theme, but as Daljit paji mentioned. 

 

About your comment in making singers aware of their negative messages.

This is show-business, it is very naive to think that these singers or their promoters or their producers really care as long as people buying their tat.

They follow the market, if the public demands it and keep on buying it, they will keep on producing it.

[simran345]

11 minutes ago, Preeet said:

Okay, but hatya is not comparable to music.. & I think every song these days is a waste of time, so it would be redundant to comment that on every fb page. + not everyone wants to be dharmic, so there are always going to be  songs for adharmi people. But everyone is free to live as they like, and I have no problem with it as long as they are not bothering any atman. + I most people do know that bhangra is not dharmic.

Obviously Bhangra isn't dharmic. We are taking about how Bhangra effects people. I'm talking about how these singers can make better songs as obviously they aren't going to stop and start making dharmic songs are they? 

Have you heard every single songs theme? Some songs aren't all about guns, drugs, drink and women. What I'm saying is, when you got singers doing songs with big tanks and promoting guns and portraying gangster themes, that's not going to help the youth in any way. That's what needs to be stopped, as kids follow the singers like sheep. 

I agree Ranjit paji, if people stop buying them, that's why there needs to be more awareness, as they are listening to one type of music category only. Chaklo rakhlo songs, but if the singers don't make them in the first place, what's there to buy? It's like there used to be more 100% cotton tshirts before, and now they've mixed it with polyester and viscose or polyamide and what not so those like me don't buy the mixed material no more as it's getting less available. 

[Akalifauj]

21 minutes ago, Ranjeet01 said:

Punjabi youth go crazy for the dhol, the beat and the rythm not really the lyric.

Bhangra these days is basically appropriated black music with dhol, tumbi with Punjabi lyrics.

From your writings, I gather you are from Canada or U.S. If I am not mistaken.

I am from the UK and was around when Bhangra was the rage in it's heyday in the 80's . The reality is that it is old hat.

 

 

 

You fail to recognize the identity that bhangra gives to Punjabi youth.  This identity is obviously negative.

You want to minimize the actual damage bhangra has caused to the Punjabi youth.  Bhangra gave them an avenue to misbehave.  Every generation holds bhangra as there identity.  You can keep denying reality.  Bhangra changing to attract a bigger demographic does not mean it's not bhangra.  It's like a 1950 youth saying 1980s bhangra is not bhangra.  

[Ranjeet01]

6 hours ago, Akalifauj said:

You fail to recognize the identity that bhangra gives to Punjabi youth.  This identity is obviously negative.

You want to minimize the actual damage bhangra has caused to the Punjabi youth.  Bhangra gave them an avenue to misbehave.  Every generation holds bhangra as there identity.  You can keep denying reality.  Bhangra changing to attract a bigger demographic does not mean it's not bhangra.  It's like a 1950 youth saying 1980s bhangra is not bhangra.  

Bhangra gives nothing to youth. 

I will disagree with a lot of points you have made.

Bhangra hardly attracts a larger demographic.

1980s bhangra is more bhangra than the rubbish that comes out these days.

For starters at least in the 1980s they played instruments, unlike the synthesised computer programmed rubbish they call music these days.

There is no more damage to Punjabi youth than the youth in any other community.

You seem to be living in your Canadian bubble.

Punjabi culture is more than a genre of music. Youth may identify with the cultural heritage of traditional folk bhangra but let's be honest here, there were old school bhangra that were filthy with their lyrics so it's nothing new.

Punjabi women acting slutty is nothing new, Punjabi men acting like idiots is nothing new.

We were never some idealised community that people imagine that we had. It never existed.

[MisterrSingh]

Was it Jagsaw that observed the quite insidious connection between the Muslim ownership of the major Punjabi music labels (in the UK) holding sway over our youth, whilst the Muslims themselves adhere to a strict culture that supposedly views such music and associated lifestyles as godless and haram? So they're basically corrupting our people (apologies for the oversimplification) whilst they shield their own from its affects? It seems they've learned something of the old western divide and conquer tactics. 

We sit here and bicker amongst ourselves, trying to pin the blame on one caste or another whilst the orchestrators of the divisions get rich. Wow.

[simran345]

10 hours ago, Preeet said:

Hmm, well I'm pro choice when it comes to the public. It is not illegal, so stop worrying?? 

You be what you like I don't care. 

Its easy for you to say stop worrying, when it's not your kid or sibling being affected by the negativity of it. 

Stop writing stupid things like stop worrying. So you're ok with all these songs about weapons and drugs, especially for the youth in India? It's these songs that are exactly that mindset of being cool which they think involves drugs, shootings, fights etc. And you're saying stop worrying?? 

Its something we all should be worried about. When's the last time you went to a wedding in India?  I went to one this year, and I'm telling you the atmosphere was not good, there was something to worry about, especially when if anybody had any rifles or guns or any fights kicking off. It's when dumb songs like that get played that's when to worry, because you don't know what's going to happen next. 

[simran345]

Preet I am replying with shanti, you should stop trying to make out I'm being aggressive when I'm only telling it how it is. 

You can brush it under the carpet, but don't expect anybody else to. I have my own opinions so I will write them and stop trying to push your opinions on to me. 

It's not my fault you don't understand the influence it is has on Punjabi youth, especially those in India. 

Just because music like this is produced doesn't mean we can't protest against it or make our views known. You can sit back and watch the tamasha that's fine, but don't try to belittle me for what I'm doing which is something positive. At least I'm doing something about it, rather than just reading and let somebody else write something. It's not just me, there plenty that comment on singers pages to let them know about their songs. So you can stop creating my views and opinions into something that they are not. Stop being clever and grow up.