Story and Photography by Greg Hild • www.gregoryjhild.com
The Hindu festival of color, Holi, takes place every year in mid-March and celebrates both good over evil and
heralds the start of Spring. Brooklyn-based RED BARAAT brought the festivities to WORLD CAFE LIVE in
Philadelphia, and lit up the full crowd with the infectious sounds of their Bhangra music. This realm of Indian
fusion music has roots in Punjabi culture and meshes traditional folk elements in experimental combination
with the more modern sounds of whichever country it is performed in. The result is Red Baraat's unique and
intense rhythms with added elements ranging from funk to jazz to hip hop. This mix led NPR to call them "one
of the best party bands around". In fact, NPR brought the band back for its second round on the revered "Tiny
Desk Concert" series this past March. This intimate performance was a brief stop on their continually busy tour
schedule, which brings the band around the globe and to countless international festivals, including “Bonaroo”,
and even a performance at The White House.
The latest stop in Philly elated the diverse crowd, most of whom danced through the entire set and into the
second encore. It wasn't uncommon to find many in the audience singing or shouting the lyrics to Red Baraat's
songs in anthem-like chants that were presumably in the language of Punjabi. The pulsating sound was led by
front-man SUNNY JAIN, a notable Dhol drummer who has collaborated with numerous artists-- including PETER
GABRIEL, NORAH JONES and jazz great KENNY BARRON, among others. The energy persisted throughout the
performance, with the band having as much fun on stage as the crowds dancing out front.
Red Baraat's 4th album, “Bhangra Pirates”, was released on March 24TH.