This past week Vancouver and Surrey were colourfully lit up with the magic of the City of Bhangra Festival.
Early in the week Rupi Kaur took the stage with her inviting presence as she read poems from her highly successful book of poetry “Milk and Honey”. Rupi magnetically captivated the audience with loaded words and an approachable demeanor.
Her book heavily focuses on highlighting the many isolated trials and tribulations of being a woman within the Indian community. Kaur is connecting communities by bringing universal issues such as race, feminism, abuse, and sexuality to the table. A bestseller, Milk and Honey takes the reader through the journey of hurting to healing.
Later in the week members of the @DontDoze hosted an Indian art show at Fortune Sound Club which featured several local artists. Artists expressed their relationship to both the Indian and Western world. The show was accompanied by with Richmond’s own Jasleen Powar djing the night away.
City of Bhangra’s “Downtown Bhangra” Festival made its first appearance in Surrey this year! The day was full of dance performances, music, henna and of course, butter chicken. I caught up with Payal Chandel from Shan-e-Punjab to ask her about their dedication to the Bhangra community.
“What has the process of bringing a group of individuals together been like for the progression of Shan-e-Punjab?”
We have created a bond with each other because of our shared love for dance and our culture. Bhangra helps us express how colourful and vibrant our culture really is
“Where do you want to see your art go in the future?”
We hope with our passion for dance and bhangra we will motivate our younger generations to keep in touch with their roots
“What is the best part of performing together?”
The energy that we feed each other and how close we’ve all become is the best part of performing together
Learn more: City of Bhangra Festival
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.