Groups
Indian Marching Band
Indian Marching Band brings to the States the energy and excitement of the musical festivities found at Indian weddings. Comprised of dhol, percussion, and horns, this group plays traditional baraat songs, Punjabi songs, as well as classic Bollywood numbers. This is the first and only Indian marching band in the States catering to baraats.
Red Baraat
Red Baraat is the first and only dhol ‘n’ brass band of its kind in the States, melding the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with brass funk and expressing the human spirit through improvisation and a powerful live sound. Comprised of dhol (double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum slung over one shoulder), drumset, percussion, sousaphone, and horns, this NYC-based group plays fresh originals, as well as modern arrangements of Punjabi and Hindi songs with a dramatic stage performance and presence.
In the short time since their inception, the group has delivered blistering performances at Chicago World Music Festival, Madsion World Music Festival, Lincoln Center, DJ Rekha's Basement Bhangra, 4th Annual Droma Gypsy Festival, The Kitchen performance art space, India Independence Day Parade, Barbes, Joe’s Pub, Santos Party House, as well as a live radio broadcast for John Schaefer's Soundcheck on WNYC-FM 93.9. They recently recorded the credit roll theme song for the movie, The Yes Men Fix the World and performed for Ports 1961 at the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (NYC).
Sunny Jain - Dhol
From the resounding hall of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, to the Hollywood set of Uma Thurman’s Accidental Husband, to the ecstatic masses at baraats, Sunny Jain has quickly become a top NYC-based dholi. Sunny Jain has been performing drums professionally for over 15 years now, with tours throughout the States, Canada, Europe, West Africa, India and Japan with some of the top musicians in the world. He is known in the musical world as a leading voice for Indo-Jazz (www.sunnyjain.com). Sunny Jain made his professional debut as a dholi playing in the first ever Indian Broadway show, Bombay Dreams (2004). He has since gone on to perform with the legendary sufi-rock group, Junoon, Masala Bhangra fitness guru, Sarina Jain (“The Indian Jane Fonda”), jazz legend Dewey Redman with Asha Puthli, and Cucu Diamantes of the Latin Funk band, Yerba Buena and Indian vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia. Sunny made his Hollywood debut playing dhol in the movie, Accidental Husband, starring Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Isabella Rossellini. He closed out 2007 with a milestone performance with the famed sufi-rock band, Junoon, at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. Sunny also carries a long list of credits as jazz drummer and composer with performances with Joey Baron, Kenny Barron, Marc Cary, Samir Chatterjee, Kyle Eastwood, Roy Hargrove, Norah Jones, Q-Tip, and Martha Wainwright. He was designated a 2002 Jazz Ambassador by The Department of State and The Kennedy Center and subsequently received the Arts International Award in 2003 and 2005, and was commissioned in 2002 by Chamber Music America and in 2008 by Aaron Copland Recording Fund to compose and record new music. Sunny has also authored 2 instructional drum books for Alfred Publishing, including one on the application of Indian rhythms and concepts to the drumset.
Indo-Jazz Ensemble
Performing jazzed-up versions of Bollywood hits, such as Aap Jaisa Koi, Awaara Hoon, Kal Ho Na Ho, Chunnari Chunnari, Dum Maro Dum, Kabhi Kabhi and Indo-jazz stylized originals . Additionally, the group performs jazz classics from the standard repertoire of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and other famous American composers. This group includes drumset, acoustic bass, piano and saxophone.
What is a baraat?
Baraat is Hindi for a marriage procession. In North India, it is a tradition on the day of the wedding for the groom to travel to his bride’s home on a magnificently decorated horse, accompanied by family and friends. Led by a dholi and/or a marching band, the live music is inseparable from this joyous celebration and naturally induces dancing and singing.
