One of North America's biggest Bhangra events, the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC) is slated to hit the city's cultural scene with a bang and a dhol come Jan 20 and 21, 2006 at venues throughout Downtown Vancouver.

Following close on the heels of the success of the VIBC competition last year, the event has expanded to a veritable feast of music and dance spanning two days. Says, Sukhi Ghuman, the VIBC Public relations Chair, "This year there will be live music and dancing, main-stage performances, a photo art exhibit and even dance and dhol drum workshops for bhangra enthusiasts, some of which will be available free of cost."

The 10 participating teams in the competition, scheduled for Jan 21 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, were selected from over 25 applicants and will be vying for the top prize of 5, 000 dollars.

Local teams that made the grade include the UBC Girlz, Duniya Allstars Coed, and V.I.B.E while internationally teams from California, Michigan, Virginia and even Texas will show their prowess on stage to audiences from all over Canada and the USA.

Another highlight of the event is the presence of the Bhangra sensation, folk singer Lehmber Hussainpuri.

For more information go to www.vibc.org