“When I was born, my chachi (aunt) named me Zorawar saying aapna zor se hi yeh aa gaya (born out of his own strength),” he says. Zorawar, who would take on the moniker Noor Zora much later in life, was born in the 1970s in a joint family in Fathegarh Sahib district’s Chari village. The Lok Rang Noor Art troupe has travelled far and wide to cities like Hyderabad, Jaipur, Udaipur, Dehradun and Raipur and overseas to Canada, the UK and Australia. The troupe has chalked up over 2,000 performances since 2010. The troupe is regularly invited to perform at weddings, anniversaries and birthdays. Now in his sixties, Zorawar has built a loyal following for his 12-member troupe’s aurtaan da giddha (women’s giddha). Therefore, each new booking comes as a tiny victory for us,” Zorawar says, proudly. At a time when Punjabi music has become more about pop culture, not many know about these older folk dances performed during the harvest months.
“While the male giddha has high rhythms and involves jumps, our giddha has high notes, powerful lyrics, and vigorous and rhythmic clapping. Malwai giddha, the male version, is traditionally performed by elderly men when a bride leaves her parental home, to keep the families’ spirits high. Giddha is primarily performed by women in Punjab, the dance is energetic like bhangra, with grace, elegance and flexibility as added characteristics. Founded by Zorawar Singh, better known by his stage name Noor Zora, the troupe has travelled far and wide to cities like Hyderabad, Jaipur, Udaipur, Dehradun and Raipur and overseas to Canada, the UK and Australia. Meet Lok Rang Noor Art troupe, a group of queer men from rural Punjab who perform giddha, a popular folk dance with its origins in Punjab. In another room, two men discuss the lines they will shortly sing, and a third man warms up his vocal cords with sips of hot tea. Everyone is up – someone fixes their hair, and rummages through a cupboard, while another rehearses choreographed steps.
However, one house is humming with activity. It’s 5 am in Fathegarh Sahib district in rural Punjab and the sun is yet to rise.
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