By Michael Boriero
Gurdeep Pandher is visiting Sherbrooke for a few days this week and he has brought his longstanding mission of spreading joy and positivity during the pandemic with him.
Pandher has become a social media sensation over the past two years. He posts videos of himself performing the bhangra, a traditional Punjabi folk dance, every day on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to remind people to smile and enjoy life.
“For a long time I’ve been making videos, but since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve been making one video each day to spread joy, hope and positivity across Canada and beyond, just to give a lift to people, just to give that hope, just to bring those smiles back,” he said.
The bhangra, according to Pandher, originated in Punjab, India, and it was created by Punjabi farmers. The traditional folk dance demonstrates a farmer’s connection to the land and celebrates the harvest season. It is also a representation of Sikh culture.
Pandher, who moved to Canada 15 years ago and currently resides in the Yukon Territory, told The Record that he wanted his videos to be a brief escape from the new reality created by COVID-19. However, he never imagined it would take off the way it did two years ago.
