Rough Guide to Bhangra Dance
The follow up to 1999'sRough Guide To Bhangra,Rough Guide To Bhangra Dancefocuses on recent mutations of this flexible music genre also known as "desi beats." Originally brought to England by North Indian Punjabi immigrants and their children, bhangra mutated in cities like London and Birmingham in the 80s to reflect the new surroundings of the artists and audience. The barrel-shaped dhol drum is still at the center of the clattering bhangra sound, but the 15 tracks here range from Four Of A Kind's boy-band leanings to Veronica's modern R&B-ish; grooves to the traditional-minded Daljit Mattu & Ravi Bal. The music's party vibe works surprisingly well in conjunction with the strict aesthetics of hip-hop, dancehall and dance music, and has actually been incorporated by artists in those genres (Missy Elliott being a notable example). Nonetheless, this is an excellent line-up of artists coming out of the Indian tradition looking to Western forms in search of new fusions. --Tad Hendrickson