Rangla Group brings North Indian cultural folk dances
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday April 28, 2017 14:12
According to the media relation personnel at the High Commission of India in Gaborone Tumelo Machola, they will host the two days event in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) of the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi from May 14 to 15 this year.
The two days event will be kick started at Westwood International School in Gaborone on May 14, 2017 and continue at Francistown’s Civic Centre the following day.
Machola said the group will treat its fans with 13 acts namely Bhangra Folk Dance, Giddha, Folk Orchestra, Jhummar, Jindua, Solo Dance, Punjabi Opera known as Kirti di Kulli, Sammi Dance, Jawabi Challa, Nagin Dance and Luddi.
The group will kick starts its shows with Bhagra Folk Dance. Bhangra is the most popular and thrilling folk dances of Punjab, which is closely linked with harvesting. In the Punjab culture, Bhangra is danced on moonlight nights. The dance begins in slow rhythmic movements and reaches a crescendo.
The leader of the dance is the drummer who plays at the centre of the dancers. The dancers sing traditional songs and there is immense scope of expression. With each new couplet, the dancers change their steps accompanying them with phrases such as ‘Balle balle and oye oye.’
They will also dance Giddha, an immortal folk dance of women of Punjab. On the eve of a happy and joyous occasion in the family, the young women dance together. They stand in a semi-circle where they clap and sing.
Two of the women will then advance away from the rest, sing and dance vigorously while others clap and join in singing. Giddha is a manifestation of the emotions of the daughters’ problem, hopes and aspirations. The fountainhead of this form of folk dance is the Malwa region of Punjab.
One of the dance and songs that the audience will be treated to is Orchestra that would be presented in folk form. The crew will introduce typical folk instruments of Punjab that are used in dancing and singing such as Algoza, Tumbi, Bugdoo, Chimta, Katto, Sap, Dholki, Matka Dhol, Been, Flute, Tallian, Duff and others.
The crew will also treat the audience with a folk song that is expected to take about seven minutes. It will introduce typical folk form on the concept of traditional folk love stories and traditional myths.
It will also perform a distinctive folk dance of Southern Punjab of pre-partition, Jhummar which is normally performed in a circle or spinning around known as Jhummar. Rangla Group will also present its countrymen with a love showing dance, which is based upon a very popular folk tune ‘jind mahi ambian to oye’ known as Jindua. Jundua means ‘My Life,’ where the lover and beloved address each other and exchange notes about the ways of the world.
There will also be a solo performance by the group’s female artist who will perform a dance based on Pujab folk songs. She will depict her feelings with various expressions and gestures. This India group will also present a Punjab Opera known as Kirti di Kulli, which takes between 12 to 15 minutes.
It will depict the social evil that used to be prevalent in the part of the country where the poor farmers’ harvest would be snatched away forcibly by the landlord (Jamindar). After the awakening of the poor and downtrodden with education, that practice stopped and the poor farmers danced with joy to the tune of folk instruments and drum.
Some of the acts that the group will display are Jawabi Challa, a very interesting event of competitive show of dancing amongst two different teams, Nagin Dance, which depicts the movement of snake and snake charmer in which one female dancer acts as a snake and men act as snake charmers with one man as their boss with the power to bring the subordinate snake charmers to life once they are poisoned by the Nagin (female snake) and Luddi which is usually performed by the males in the folk culture. The Luddi dance is performed as a celebratory dance that celebrates victory of any Punjabi in any field.
Local ministers, senior officers from the Botswana Government, prominent members of Indian Diaspora, CEOs and heads of various organisations and business groups are expected to attend the event.