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Year 10 - Music

Bhangra as fusion

Fusions and Bhangra

Unit Summary

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Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how modern bhangra is a fusion of different styles.

Key Notes

  • Bhangra has continued to develop as a style, not only in the Punjab but also separately in the UK.
  • Modern bhangra is a fusion of elements of traditional Punjabi music and Western popular music.
  • A typical bhangra groove includes chaal on the dhol and a tumbi playing a simple, repeated pattern.
  • Vocals in bhangra are influenced by Punjabi traditions. They are often microtonal, melismatic and 'bend' between notes.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Dhol: A dhol is the key instrument of bhangra - a two-headed drum that plays the chaal.
  • Tumbi: A tumbi is a common instrument in bhangra. It is a single-stringed instrument that often plays a repeated riff.
  • Microtonal: If a melody is microtonal it uses notes in between the 12 notes of the Western scale. It uses intervals smaller than a semitone.
  • Melismatic: If singing is melismatic, it means that multiple notes are sung during one syllable of a word.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Bhangra is a style of music from South Asia.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Bhangra has continued to develop as a style, not only in the Punjab but also separately in the UK. Modern bhangra is a fusion of elements of traditional Punjabi music and Western popular music.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Dhol'

A dhol is the key instrument of bhangra - a two-headed drum that plays the chaal.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Bhangra is a style of music from South Asia. Correction: Bhangra in its modern form is an example of musical fusion, between Punjabi traditional bhangra and Western popular styles of music.

More Lessons In This Unit

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