Bhangra fusion show tonight

Bhangra, the infectious folk music from the Indian state of Punjab, will be moving to a new level in Dubai tonight with 'Bhangra Madness,' the first fusion show in the region.

The five-hour jam at the Sea View Hotel in Bur Dubai features a dhol player and Punjabi singer/MC from Delhi alongside Dubai-based DJ Ronne Jaxxx.

The combination of live music with hip hop and garage mixing has long been popular in the U.S., UK and Canada for years but had yet to be tried in Dubai, concert organiser Yasir Choudhary said at a press conference yesterday.

"There have been a lot of bhangra shows, bhangra nights and Bollywood-inspired shows around the UAE, but no one has ever mixed with a live dhol before," he said. "It's not an original idea, but it is an original initiative."

Choudhary predicted that tonight's show would be the first of many such events to come.
"We wanted to have the first show with the dhol, because that is the most important thing in bhangra," he said. "It's what gives the music its rhythm."

International bhangra acts like the UK-based Punjabi MC and Canada-based DJ APS would be making appearances at future 'Bhangra Madness' events at the hotel's Marine's Club, he added. Dream Advertising, the organisers of the show, also appeared confident of the event's long-term sustainability.

"We may not have a big Punjabi population here, but that doesn't matter because bhangra appeals to people of all cultures, even if they don't understand it. That's true in the UK and Canada too, where mainstream clubs are playing it," Choudhury said.

Tonight's show will also feature The Broadway Girls, a dance group from the UK. Tickets to the event are priced at Dh50 and the show begins at 9.30pm.