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Red Baraat On World Cafe

Red Baraat.
Erin Patrice O'Brien
/
Courtesy of the artist
Red Baraat.

At a Red Baraat show, the combination of Punjabi Bhangra music, New Orleans-style jazz, go-go and even hip-hop is so seamless — and the vibe of the party is so exuberant — that barriers fall down. That unique sound is what Red Baraat's leader, Sunny Jain, had in mind when he formed the band in Brooklyn in 2008.

A jazz drummer, Jain was inspired by the baraats, the wedding processionals he'd seen in Punjabi during a family visit. At the center of Red Baraat's music is the two-headed dhol Jain plays. Assisted by other drummers, horn players and even a guy on the sousaphone who raps, Red Baraat's acoustic sound shines on the recent Shruggy Ji.

This installment of World Cafe was first published on May 29, 2013.

Copyright 2020 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

David Dye
David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.