RED BARAAT  |  Global Dance Party Band

By Brilee Sears  |  Niagara this Week


When concertgoers stop in to see Red Baraat perform, they’re in for a performance unlike anything else. “It’s a combination of jazz, hip hop, Indian marching band tradition. It’s like a global dance party band,” said Sunny Jain, who plays the dhol, a double headed drum in Red Baraat.

The group from Brooklyn, New York will be performing in several spots across Ontario in late April, including a stop in St. Catharines at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

Normally, the group performs in festivals, but has changed their pace for this Canadian tour, taking advantage of the many indoor spaces available in the area. “This is going to be special because we haven’t played the performing arts theatres in Canada much,” said Jain. “Mostly we’ve been doing festivals in Canada, so we’re excited to play the theatre space over there.”

Throughout their performances, members of Red Baraat want to create a “dance party throw down” atmosphere, getting people up out of their seats and interacting with the music in a new way. 

“I’d like to really just have that energy kind of going back and forth between the audience and the band,” Jain said.

Performing in a theatre space offers a unique challenge to engaging people, since most of the audience will be seated unlike at the outdoor festivals Red Baraat has played in Canada in the past.  However, Jain feels like the group can still work with the audience to create an exciting and fun atmosphere for everyone.

“Obviously there’s a limit to what you can do with the seated theatres,” he noted. “But I’d like to just eradicate that line between the band and the audience so everyone is fully engaged, so that the moment is shared together. It’s not just one way communication.”

While the group performs the audience will also get to experience the talents of the seven musicians on a wide variety of instruments, some common and some more unusual. 

“We’ve got a sousaphone and we’ve got some horns. We have trumpet, trombone, soprano saxophone, we have a drum set player, a proper kit player, and a guitarist,” explained Jain. 

Red Baraat has toured across the world including Europe, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates in the past 13 years, but say they’re excited to return to Canada and perform in St. Catharines. “I’m just looking forward to getting up (to Canada) and playing, and meeting some new folks,” added Jain.  

Don’t miss Red Baraat when they perform at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre on Fri 28 April 2023. 

RED BARAAT
FRI 28 APRIL AT 7:30PM

Get tickets online at firstontariopac.ca or call the box office at 905-688-0722.
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