Bhangra Blowout

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Bhangra Blowout is an annual intercollegiate dance competition hosted by The George Washington University's South Asian Society (SAS). First started in 1993, Bhangra Blowout is an intercollegiate bhangra phenomenon where elite eight university teams from all over the world perform and compete for cash prizes. Bhangra Blowout takes place at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

1 Bhangra
2 Critical Acclaim and Reviews
3 Controversy
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Bhangra

Bhangra is a traditional folk dance native to Punjab, an area in northern Punjab and Pakistan. Bhangra is mostly driven by the infectious beats of the dhol, a two-headed drum.

[edit] Critical Acclaim and Reviews

In addition to generous press coverage given by local South Asian cable shows, newsletters and newspapers, Bhangra Blowout has received rave reviews from mainstream media like the Washington Post, the New York Times and Forbes Magazine. Bhangra Blowout has also been recognized several times by the Washington, D.C. Arts Commission. The New York Times described Bhangra Blowout as "a rite of spring for the growing legions of South Asian-American college students along the East Coast -- akin to spring break pilgrimages that have taken collegians to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., or to the streets of Atlanta, where black students gather for Freaknik."^[1]

[edit] Controversy

In October of 2006 the parents of Ranjit Singh filed a lawsuit against George Washington University and the South Asian Society for responsibility in their son's death. Ranjit Singh, 20, was visiting from his hometown of Phillipsburg, N.J., for the student organization annual Bhangra Blowout dance event on March 27, 2005. He was stabbed to death at about 2:45 a.m. during an altercation on the sidewalk outside of the Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the after-party was held. Singh's lawyer Geoffrey Allen said the problem was the lack of security near the exits and outside the party. He added that proper intervention by guards could have prevented Singh's murder. GW Media Relations Director Tracy Schario said that they do not typically comment on active lawsuits, but she stressed that Singh was not killed at a GW event, but rather outside one. "The incident happened after the party, and GW had no role in that at all," Schario said. The lawsuit is still ongoing. ^[2]