Red Baraat Brings Funk Fusion to Connecticut

Red Baraat, coming to the University of Saint Joseph, is the party you'll be telling your friends about for years. Described as a fusion of jazz, hip-hop beats, rock muscle, funky go-go and scalding hot bhangra, Red Baraat's explosive songs and high-energy performances are a multicultural powerhouse. Charismatic bandleader Sunny Jain brings the addictive sound of Red Baraat to the University of Saint Joseph on Friday, December 1 at the Hoffman Auditorium in the Bruyette Athenaeum at 8:00 p.m.

Since its formation in 2008, the magic of Red Baraat has spread far beyond New York City. Eight musicians whip a crowd into a frenzy with unprecedented energy, horns blare, percussionists pound, audiences dance and shout, and the group's leader Sunny Jain explodes with rhythms from his dhol - the Indian double-headed drum played slung over the shoulder. The music created in part Punjabi wedding and part New Orleans brass band.

Autorino Center director, Steven Raider-Ginsburg says, "The On the Move season is excited to continue with Red Baraat, which celebrates global fusion with a collection of musicians who, from distinct traditions, perform American funk and jazz grooves to Punjabi wedding celebration!"

Why the name Red Baraat? Jain explains that a baraat is an Indian wedding procession, where the groom arrives on top of a horse, usually preceded by a brass band. A red baraat refer to the symbolic representation of how North Indian culture values the color red during weddings, as well as the emotional personification of how Jain views his own passion of music.

Premium: $30, General: $25, Seniors, USJ Alumni, USJ Faculty/Staff and Let's Go Arts Members: $20, Autorino Members and Students (Non-USJ) with valid ID: $15. Tickets can be purchased at the Frances Driscoll Box Office: 860.231.5555 or online at tickets.usj.edu.

Sunny Jain was born and raised in Rochester, New York, but his family maintained close ties to India, and with regular summer visits throughout his childhood, he applied what he learned from his cultural heritage to his musical education. The drummer and composer recorded several accomplished jazz albums with the Sunny Jain Collective and has collaborated with Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Q-Tip, and the acclaimed Pakistani Sufi-rock band Junoon, among many others. Yet he always dreamed of applying the celebratory energy of the Punjabi wedding bands he had encountered on his trips overseas to American jazz, rock, funk and pop. With Red Baraat, he has realized his ambition and taken the project in wild improvisatory directions he'd never anticipated.

Website: http://www.redbaraat.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA442F1BA9D8C260C