Khushmeet
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Music
1095 Bhangra Dancers Set Guinness Record
Sunday, August 31, 2008 may well have been one of the hottest days this summer, but for Vick Singh Aulakh, the record-breaking Bhangra show had to go on.
The 15-year-old was one of 1,095 people who danced into the Guinness Book of Records with the world's largest Bhangra performance at the Mehfil Mela Festival (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), an annual celebration of Sikh and Punjabi culture.
The event was monitored by Danny Girton from the Guinness Book of Records office in New York.
Despite the sweltering 30C heat, the record was set by the gigantic troupe performing the traditional Punjabi dance for ten minutes. The group including men, women and children - ranging from 75-year old Kesar Singh Poonia to 4-year old Khushmeet Kaur.
"Today our heads are hurting because of the sun, but we had to follow through with it", said Vick Singh. "When you're doing Bhangra you have to be fully into it ... you have to be fully joyful and smiling. If you're not fully into it, it's not Bhangra".
The heat intensified the bright colours of the performers' outfits - traditional Punjabi garb which includes turbans and kurtas for males and salwaar-kameezes for females.
Just putting on the costumes is no easy task. "It takes us up to one and a half hours to get ready", Aulakh said.
Event spokesman Gurinder Singh Grewal said that even without the heat, the Bhangra dance is physically demanding.
"It takes a lot out of your body", he said. "Your body really moves and shakes, and you get tired after a good 10-to-15 minute dance".
In its sixth year, the festival attracted more than 90,000 people to a grassy field outside the Powerade Centre arena, and featured musical acts by performers who came from as far away as Punjab.
The festival has grown from its beginnings as a community picnic, Gurinder Singh said, and the spirit of community has stood the test of time.
"People help us with cleaning up afterwards, people we don't even know", he said. "Everybody gets really involved in this".
[Courtesy: The Toronto Sun]
September 2, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Zeeshan (Pakistan), September 06, 2008, 7:10 PM.
I love Bhangra - it's such a great dance!
2: Parminder Singh (Punjab), October 08, 2008, 10:23 AM.
Balle Balle! It's geat. I love Bhangra and also perform at my college functions.
3: Harjit Klair (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), February 24, 2011, 10:40 PM.
Khushmit is my daughter. We're proud her. Also, she got the first price!
4: Rajveer Singh Klair (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), August 30, 2013, 4:10 PM.
Khushmeet is my cousin. I love Bhangra. I did it for my uncle's wedding.