What is Bhangra?
Project Gotham Racing® 3 rocks. Just as the Xbox 360™ has tools for downloading and managing music, Project Gotham Racing 3 has a diverse selection of racing soundtracks in the game, along with the ability to download more. The game’s music has been sorted by genre, including some styles that are quite familiar—and a few you might not know as well. Many gamers are already well acquainted with styles like alt rock, hip-hop, and electronica, but if you play the game with a randomly-generated soundtrack, you may hear a few artists you’ve never heard before. One of the most distinct styles of music in the game is bhangra. If you like what you hear, it’s a style of music that’s certainly worth a closer look.
The music in this game is rather different from historic, traditional bhangra music. This style of music originally came from the Punjab region of Southeast Asia. Long before the era of MP3s and the Web, bhangra was a traditional part of weddings and other celebrations. Over the last few decades, it has gained greater attention worldwide, particularly after musicians began fusion experiments combining bhangra with other styles. Some more recent bhangra recordings sound remarkably like hip-hop and house music, fusing Asian rhythms with Western influences. Traditional and modern bhangra music is still sold worldwide and its influence is quickly spreading throughout India, the U.K., and elsewhere.
PGR 3 includes songs from twelve bhangra tracks, all of which are available through Windows Media® Player. The game gives you a taste, but if you like driving to a Punjabi beat, it’s pretty easy to download more. We’ve posted five sample tracks from the game, and if you’d like to search for more, here’s a closer look at where they came from.
- “Hauli Hauli” is the opening track from Banghra Blast, a great general introduction to the genre. The featured artist is Birkram Singh, who’s been getting rave reviews in the U.K. for years. With a simple hook and catchy lyrics, it’s an addictive driving song.
- “Bol Breaker” was produced by Dhruva Ganesan, Janaka [Selekta], and Maneesh the Twister. Bol Breaker's lyrics and swirling sitar act as counterpoint to darbouka percussion and a dub bassline. Among other places, you’ll find it as a featured track on Dhamaal SF’s Transmissions EP.
- “Lak Noo Hala De” is one of two PGR 3 tracks from Achanak, a six-piece touring band fronted by the lyrics of Panjabi MC. It’s a remix of an earlier song, and you can find it on a CD called Bhangra-ology. The album was co-produced by TigerStyle.
- “Akh Mastani” is one of three tracks in the game performed by TigerStyle. Along with “Boliyan” and “Maan doabe da,” it is scheduled to be featured on an upcoming album.
- “Putt Jattan Daa” was recorded by Jasbir Jassi, and you can find it on an album called Dil Le Gayee. In addition to his work as a musician, he has worked in theater and film.
Project Gotham Racing 3 is a customizable game where style matters, and sometimes, the style of your driving music can be important as the Kudos you earn on the track. After you’ve cycled through the bhangra tracks in the game, you can use your Xbox 360’s music tools to download more. The Xbox 360’s samples are just a start. With a few quick downloads, you can enjoy more bhangra blasts while blasting through your favorite tracks.