Red Baraat Marches in at #1!
Debuting as the number one album on the iTunes World Music Chart, Red Baraat’s Shruggy Ji, released just this morning, is a good indication of how far this band has come and where it stands going forward. Self-described as the ‘Bhangra Funk Dhol ‘n’ Brass’ band, the Brooklyn-based ensemble is not the typical genre that you might expect to take the world by storm. But it has, and under the direction of dholi Sunny Jain, the band continues to lead the music scene in reforming audiences into bhangra and Bollywood buffs! An extensive list of high-profile press includes performing for NPR Music’s ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ series, being featured in the Wall Street Journal, and of course my favorite, playing for the White House. But what I love the most about Red Baraat (and I’m sure any fan will tell you this), every concert becomes one, giant party. The definition of a baraat is the marching band that leads the groom’s procession at an Indian wedding. And that’s how you feel at every show – like you’ve just been transported to a magical cross-pollination land of India and New Orleans, where the traditional dhol drum resonates with funky, brass lines, all while playing your favorite Bollywood sing-song number…and in any minute, an ornately adorned horse could walk in with the Punjabi bridegroom on his back.
I have been lucky enough to see the progression of this band’s work, having known a lot of these musicians from my NYU music school days. They are friends who I have become very proud of, especially them being the pioneers in this genre of music – the group was formed in 2008 by Jain, and since then, many groups have tried to emulate what Red Baraat has done, with not nearly the same success and of course, not nearly the same energy and musicianship. That is what this band carries – an incredible amount of talent with an even higher standard of humility and appreciation for music. Red Baraat is in a league of its own, and the band continues to wow audiences worldwide. Be a part of the celebration – hear their music and go see them play! Chak de!
THE BARE FEET™ FIVE:
1. Album Release: Download Shruggy Ji, Red Baraat’s latest album, on sale now on iTunes!
2. More Music: Red Baraat has released five other albums, and all are worth checking out! You can find one of my favorites, Chaal Baby, and the rest of the band’s discography on the Red Baraat Bandcamp page.
3. Tour: Red Baraat will lead a full US tour starting January 24th thru March 23rd, 2013 – be sure to see them live!
4. Bollywood: When you see Red Baraat perform, you might recognize some classic Bollywood tunes, performed with a brassed-up funky twist – one of my favorite tunes I’ve heard at a show is King-of-Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan’s classic Rang Barse!
5. Brass Bands: Other notable bands that share the brotherhood of brass ensembles include New Orleans’ Stooges Brass Band, New York’s Hungry March Band, and San Francisco’s Brass Monkey Brass Band.