Bhangra Groups in SG

BDS Logo

Bhangre De Sitare (BDS), which literally means “Stars of Bhangra”, was formed back in the early 1990s by a group of 8 friends who shared the same passion and love in traditional Punjabi dance (Bhangra).

By 1995, the group had grown and formally came under the supervision of Ranjit Singh who took over the management in 1995. Since then, the group has been on a wonderful journey to being one of the most sought-after Bhangra groups in Singapore and is dedicated to performing for cultural and charity events, including high profile events such as the Chingay Procession, National Day Parade, President’s Star Charity, UTSAV and other various national-level events both locally and abroad. BDS is also an active cultural troupe with Kolam Ayer Community Club since 1998.

BDS’ current team of 10 members regularly performs modern Bhangra (east-meets-west) with traditional Malay and Chinese dancers presenting a colourful and vibrant dance performance that showcases the best of Singapore’s diverse multi-cultural society. Among their many accomplishments, BDS has been featured in a publication by the National Arts Council and were even mentioned by Channel News Asia for their invitation to perform at the Istana for the Hari Raya Puasa celebrations in 2017!

If you’d like a taste of what BDS can do to liven up parties, check out their outstanding performance in this video!

Being one of the oldest Bhangra groups in Singapore, BDS has been actively nurturing generations of performers who contribute to keeping the culture and tradition alive whilst showcasing Bhangra to other communities within Singapore and the region.

To find out more about BDS, reach out to Ranjit Singh by emailing Stars.of.Bhangra@gmail.com.

SherePunjab Bhangra (SPB) was formed when a group of friends were spotted performing for a Diwali event in late 2001. The venue’s in-house F&B Manager at that time was attracted by the vibrant energy of the dancers, and decided that they were a must have at future functions. They were approached and, despite initial reservations of being hired as professionals, became a regular feature in the local bhangra scene in 2002. The rest, as they say, is history.

From those simple beginnings, SPB were engaged to perform at family functions like weddings, parties, as well as a couple of dinner and dance functions. Yet, fundamentally they were just a group of 5-6 youth with limited experience in the Bhangra realm, with little local resources to expand their knowledge. To overcome this, bhangra competition DVDs were ordered and shipped from the USA with members researching moves and studying the art of a successful performance. With the onset of YouTube, their bhangra journey took an exponential growth.

In a very short time, they were in touch with some of the best in Bhangra and able to actively research them while developing an SPB style of their own. Adding to that, SPB boasts being the first local bhangra group to have fielded females when the bhangra circuit in Singapore was still generally all-male, and bringing in people actively from all races. In the last 15+ years, SPB has formed a variety of diverse teams with a current alumni base of over 50, and a further current 19 active members.

In true SPB spirit, the focus of the team’s performances is centred on the traditional art form of the dance with splashes of modern elements, and fun moves to keep the audience enthralled!

SPB has also become a regular feature at Singapore’s Esplanade Theatres for almost any event where Bhangra is needed, including Christmas celebrations, dance festivals and Holi. They have also performed at various community events including Chingay, and have had the pleasure of performing for the President at the Istana on 2 separate occasions!

Facebook post by then President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan, praising SherePunjab Bhangra!

While they constantly push themselves to achieve the pinnacle of Bhangra excellence in Singapore, SPB has also provided opportunities for beginners to learn the ropes. The group has been holding free weekly open sessions that welcome anyone, of any age. The open sessions enables SPB to share their passion while continuing to grow the next generation of Bhangra dancers for the team.

While many in the bhangra scene know of SPB’s success, SPB’s work has not gone unnoticed by the mainstream media. Both the Berita Harian and Today newspapers have featured SPB’s energetic and enthusiastic bhangra instructors and the phenomenon of Bhangra aerobics!

SPB coverage by TODAY newspaper.

SPB coverage by Berita Harian.

To find out more about the open sessions or to contact SPB, check out their contact details below.

Email: sherepunjab.sg@gmail.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SPBsingapore/
Instagram: @sherepunjabbhangra

Photos taken from SPB’s facebook page.

Joshiley Bhangra Singapore was formed in 2007 by a group of 8 passionate and experienced dancers. With the root word ‘Josh‘, which means ‘full of energy’, as their team name, it comes as no surprise that these performers incorporate high energy moves and stunts in their performances!

Since then, Joshiley has established itself as a major player in the local Bhangra scene of Singapore with more than 20 active members as well as an active alumni.

While Bhangra has its own unique set of techniques, forms and passion, they always try to bring something special with their performances that sets them apart from other Bhangra groups. Ranging from Bollywood songs to Michael Jackson moves or even Psy’s Gangnam Style, Joshiley constantly strives to bring their best surprise for their fans!

In recent events, Joshiley introduced interaction segments to invite the audience to join them on the dancefloor and learn a few Bhangra steps so that they too can feel the ‘Josh’!

Joshiley might be a younger team by years but have definitely clocked up an amazing resume filled with major national and international performance.

•         National Day in 2007 at the Marina Bay
•         Chingay Parade 2007, 2013, 2016, 2018
•         Herbal Life Exhibition Expo 2007
•         ‘Enlightenment’ with Edmund Chen at the National Library in 2007
•         Utsav Parade 2006 & 2007
•         HeritageFest 2010
•         Daniel Pearl World Music Day 2010
•         Singapore Jamb100 cum 3rd ASEAN Jamboree
•         Singapore Youth Olympics Games 2010
•         Miss Singapore Intercontinental 2012
•         Army Half Marathon 2014
•         SG50 celebrations 2016
•         Bhangra extravaganza 2016, 2017
•         Little India heritage event 2017
•         Tampines hub New Year’s Countdown 2018
•         Standard chartered marathon
•         Charity shows (Moral welfare home)
•         Cruise performances as part of the South East Asian culture to showcase Singapore’s diversity in culture.
•         Performances for corporate events, international schools and local schools

International shows

•         Drum Festival in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia (2008)
•         New Zealand Film Festival 2009
•         Yuntai International tourism festival in China (Henan) 2010
•         World Expo 2010 in China
•         Macau 2013
•         Jakarta 2016

They have even gotten themselves on Live TV and film shows!

•         George young hosted – MediaCorp show called ArtBITES in 2011
•         Bobby Tonelli MediaCorp shoot
•         Local film productions 2017 – Lizard On the Wall
•         Asia Uncut with Christopher Lee and Fann Wong on Star World 2009

Not satisfied with just sharing their love of dance with the masses, many of Joshiley’s members are a part of S.W.A.T. Singapore, the only competitive bhangra team in Singapore. These members have placed in international competitions such as Bhangra Dance-Off in Malaysia in 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as Harbour City Bhangra 2017 competition in Sydney, Australia.

These guys might be fast moving go-getters but keeping up with them isn’t as hard as you might think! Simply follow them on social media or get in touch with them through email.

Email address – pawandipsingh94@gmail.com or s1mrans1ngh@hotmail.com

Facebook page – Joshiley Bhangra Singapore

Instagram – Joshiley.bhangrasg