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Cupertino echoes with Bhangra beats
Satnam Singh Khalsa
 CUPERTINO: On
January 31, the dhols rang out at
Flint Center,
Cupertino where the Berkeley Bhangra Club showcased the Punjabi
culture in its own unique way and thousands witnessed the colors of
Bhangra between 7.00 pm and 9.30 pm.
Toronto Elite
Bhnagra Team walked away with the top prize while Heere Punjab De
and VCU Bhangra Team came right behind it on numbers two and three,
respectively.
Among others who participated were Nachdi Jawani, The Real
Punjabiz, Born To Bhangra, Bhangra Knights and Davis Dynasty teams.
A few gidha teams also participated.
Among the 11 member management team were Baljit Sangha,
Roobal Sekhon, Amrit pal Rai, Gursant Grewal, Michael Johl, Dilraj
Bhadre etc. Among those who adjudged the various talents were Dr
Manjinder Singh Dhaliwal, Prof Balwinder Singh Dhanoa, Harbhajan
Singh Nahal, Ravinder Pal Singh and Satnam Singh.
Competing Teams were Bhangra Knightz - Bay Area, CA; Born 2
Bhangra -
Abbotsford, BC; Da Real
Punjabiz - San Diego, CA
Davis Di Dynasty - Davis, CA; Drexel Bhangra - Philadelphia,
PA; Heeray Punjab Deh - San Jose, CA; Nachdi Jawani - Brampton,
National Bhangra Association - Los Angeles, CA; Toronto Elite
Bhangra - Toronto, ON; VCU Bhangra - Richmond, VA.
Exhibition Teams included Virse De Waris - Bay Area, CA; UC
Davis Giddha -
Davis,
CA; Raunak Trinjana Di (Youth) -
Pleasanton, CA.
The Grand Prize was $2,000, Second Prize $1,000 while the
third winner got $500. Best Dressed won $250.
Eleven years ago, students from the Berkeley Sikh Students
Association had an idea for a fundraiser. The first Dhol Di Awaz was
held in a high school gymnasium, and the parents of these motivated
students were the initial sponsors. The competition attracted 6
teams and an audience of 300. Since then, DDA has become the oldest
Bhangra Competition on the west coast and has experienced
exponential growth. In the past, DDA was held in
San Francisco,
Berkeley, and most recently Cupertino. The event continues to sell
out even after moving to larger venues.
Over the years, the DDA
stage has served as a springboard to success for many teams,
including Gabroo Shokeen, the Lethal Bhangra Crew, Sher Foundation,
UBC Girlz and Khalsa Junction. To compete in the competition, teams
submit applications and performance videos, which are viewed and
then chosen based on their quality of performance. Renowned for its
emphasis on culture and tradition, DDA has established itself as the
premier Bhangra competition on the West Coast and only promises to
continue its growth.
4
February 2009
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