Balle Balle Amritsar to LA is not just the name of the 2004 film, but pretty accurately describes the dance group Bhangra Empire. Not only does the California-based group from the Bay Area of the USA perform bhangra covers of popular songs, like Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You (above) or Luis Fonsi’s Despacito (below), the group has also become an audience favourite.
In 2009, the co-ed dance group, just three years after formation, performed at the White House First State Dinner, hosted by former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, to honour Manmohan Singh, India’s Prime Minister at the time. They were invited back to the White House in 2010 for a photoshoot with Michelle Obama for an article in Harper’s Bazaar about her favourite performers. The same year, they made their national debut on America’s Got Talent.
They’ve also established themselves as one of the favourite performers for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, for whom they’ve been performing at halftime seven years in a row now. Their performance from this year (below) went viral all across social media.
The group was formed in 2006 with the motto, “Bringing bhangra to the mainstream, one performance at a time.” Going by their YouTube channel, they’re certainly succeeding. Watch the rest of their videos here.
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