For those of you who are familiar with Punjabi songs, you’d assume (for no fault of yours) that it is belongs to India’s rich heritage in music. But there is another side to Punjabi music as well. Yes, the Pakistani side. If your next question is ‘How’, then the answer to this question lies in the political history of our nations. The partition of India which occurred after India became a free country from British rule, divided Punjab into two halves… one part of which remained with India and the other part, obviously Pakistan. Yet even though political boundaries were created, the cultural influences through music and art remain until this day, as it is a part of every Punjabi’s life. Punjabi songs, in conclusion, not only belong to the country of India but also to Pakistan in a big way. The first thing that comes to mind when one talks about Punjabi songs is bhangra. Its popularity has reached peak levels so much so that it has made the cross over into popular music as it has become synonymous with club and dance music. Yet in its folk form, bhangra is merely the celebration of ‘Vaisakhi’, that is also known as harvest time in Punjab. It is no different across the border either as the climate of region is not necessarily influenced by political boundaries set. Also, it’s common for one to hear Punjabi songs (bhangra) in weddings as well as in concert form as well, apart from its contemporary offerings as well. The ‘giddha’ form of dance and music, which is also known as the ring dance is for women. The giddha is a form of dance and music which is meant to display feminine grace, elegance and flexibility. Normally these dances are not accompanied by music with the exception of a dholak, which provides the rhythm for the songs. And one can’t help but notice that there is a distinct similarity between the Indian and the Pakistani version as well. Topics of the songs that are a part of the ‘giddha’ are around themes that involve their husbands, mother-in-laws and marriage in general. Here is an example of a ‘giddha’ from the movie, ‘Aloo Chaat’: Sufi and Qawwali music is also said to be very popular in Pakistan, and with the rise of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, it is unmistakably resulted in creating a niche for themselves in a global market. Although, it is religious music… such has been the popularity of the artist mentioned above that several collaborations with pop artists surrounding religious themes have taken Nusrat to the status of a phenomenon. The folk Punjabi songs can also be credited to the likes of the late Alam Lohar, and Arif Lohar who has introduced the chimta, a unique way translating Punjabi folk stories into song as well as the ‘jugni’, which is Alam Lohar's creation. Much as this piece of writing might come across as a surprise to some, it only goes to show that no matter whether we have political boundaries, or whether we hail from different religions that are most of the time in direct opposition to each other, the music of these apparently different cultures aren’t so different after all.