Chat with Rohit Bhambi - Co-Founder Boston Bhangra

Gauri: Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Foundations TV. Our guest today is Rohit Bhambi from Boston Bhangra. Rohit, Tell us something about the organization and your association with the organization.

Rohit: Boston Bhangra is a non-profit organization that promotes cultural awareness and mentorship amongst children. We’ve been doing this for about 13 years now. The organization was founded back in 2000. We’ve been competing as an organization , as a dance team for many years. Now we do more of the dance performances for different organizations, corporations etc for different events. We also teach classes on a weekly basis. We host our annual Boston Bhangra competition which is on November 16^th this year. We really just promote cultural awareness. That’s what our whole organization is about. As far as what I’ve been doing with the organization, I am actually a co-founder along with my brother, Amit. We basically started this organization back in 2000. The reason we started it was because we were both on rival bhangra teams. I started BU bhangra and he started  NorthEastern Bhangra and we would never actually compete with one another. So, we started Boston Bhangra in a way that we could actually compete together. It has taken on a life of it’s own since then. Obviously It has grown dramatically since 2000 and we’ve taken on a lot more initiatives to help to organization grow and help promote cultural awareness.

Gauri: What are the various events that Boston Bhangra Inc organizes?

Rohit: Boston Bhangra primarily organizes the Boston Bhangra competition. It is the big initiative that we have every year. This year it is going be our 10^th annual competition. However, we also do host a New Years party on December 31^st, along with out parent organization called South Asian Nation. We also partner with South Asian Nation on our 3^rd event that we end up hosting, which is South Asian Showdown, which is a Bollywood fusion dance competition for the best teams in North America. Boston Bhangra is an organization that focuses really on The Boston Bhagra completion along with supporting for  New Years event along with South Asian Showdown. Those are the major events. However, there are other events that come up once in a while, like we did bring Bolly Sagu one year, and we do host other events here and there based on what makes sense for the organization. But Boston Bhangra Competition is our main event.

Gauri: How many teams participate in the competition and what’s the format like?

Rohit: The format of the competition is based on 12 teams that submit their applications to us. Then we select the 12 best teams based on the style that they are representing. We have a format where we have different types of teams competing, both modern, traditional, guys team, girls teams, co-ed teams, and a mixture of modern and traditional. We like to mix it up a little bit, so it adds variety for the audience. We want to show and depict various types of bhangra. Its funny because even when you go across the States, the styles are very different ~ West coast vs the East Coast, North Vs South. All these things kind of come into play and we like to show all these different styles. Canada is also a different ball game. East Vs West are different from Canada too. So format is really based on 12 teams and we like to have a very diverse group of teams that are based on all these different styles and represent something that the audience and the judges will enjoy.

Gauri: Now all that sounds really exciting. I would like to know what the audience can expect from such an event.

Rohit:  The audience can expect a very high energy, a very fun, a very energetic type of event. Bhangra in itself is a lot of fun to watch. Teams also bring a very high level of energy and a different flavor based on what they are representing. Some have stunts, some have traditional elements. They all dress up in traditional garb. So the audience can expect something very unique and different as compared to other events or shows that are in Boston. It is definitely very entertainment focused. Bhangra in itself is a folk dance, but these teams are taking it to the next level, with the type of song mixes they’ve selected, the type of choreography that they do. These are very skilled dancers. We have a very selective competition in general. We only try to take the best teams from across North America, and we do like to have that diversity in teams, so kind of combining that with the energy, expression, the enthusiasm, and the audience participation. The audience does get very wild about the competition too, just in it’s nature, this being a competition. The teams get different audience and everyone is kind of rooting for their teams. So, it is a very sporting event. It is very unique. You got the crowd cheering, you got the great performances on stage. We also have an artist performing on stage as well. We have Jas Reign, who is one of the highest hit youtube comedians in the Western hemispheres. He has established himself very highly across the board right now traveling all across the world. We also have Sharmilla who is one of the prominent Punjabi artists across the world. He is coming from India for this competition. So you’ll see Bhangra, you’ll hear great singers, you’re going to see a fantastic comedian. So, overall the audience is going to have a fantastic time, high energy, a lot of fun, and it doesn’t really slow down. So, if you’re looking for a fun high energy type of event, this is the one to come to. It is also meant for all ages. It is a very family friendly type show. If you like Bhangra, if you like dance, this is a must see.

Gauri: That sounds super awesome. I’m sure a lot of people are already excited about this to come see the event. I for one, have not seen this before so, I’m certainly looking forward to this. So, could you share some event details, specifically regarding location, the date, the time and where can people find the tickets for this event?

Rohit: This is going to be the 10^th annual Boston Bhangra competition. We’ve been around for a while and we know that the audience is going to have a great time coming to the event. It is going to be hosted on Saturday, November 16^th at 6 p.m. sharp. Doors open at 5 o’clock. It’s going to be at the Orpheum Theater in Boston. You can buy tickets through our website, www.bostonbhangra.com\bbc . If you just go to www.bostonbhangra.com, the information is there as well. You can also call us for details 617 448 2508. You can email us if you have questions at info@bostonbhangra.com . We’ve been doing this for a while. We know how to run this competition. The performers themselves are fantastic. We are lucky enough to host the competition with all the great performances that are shown that day. If you are looking for  a fun event, its definitely one to come to. The tickets are not that expensive. They range anywhere between $20.00 and $100.00 . $20 to $40 is the primary. There’s $20 good view, $30 premium and $40 VIP along with VVIP being $100.00 . So there is different price range , but the goal is for us to keep it as cheap as possible. Also because we have a large attendance. We expect close to 3000 people at the event. It is a large event. We want everyone to come and enjoy Bhangra. That’s what it is all about. Our organization is about promoting our culture and for everyone to enjoy it. So if you like Bhangra, this is definitely something you don’t want to miss. Come on down on November 16^th  and you’ll have a great time.

Gauri: So, as you may have gathered by now, this competition is one of the largest and one of the most successful competitions in North America, which showcases the highly energetic and enthusiastic fun folk dance from Punjab, India, which is Bhangra. Most respected teams come over from all over United States and Canada and they will fight it out to be crowned Boston Bhangra champions. The tickets are selling fast , from what I hear and this has been a sold out event in the past. So, this is the time to buy your tickets to get the best seats.