Showbiz / desiFEST 2014: South Asian Music Ignites Toronto

desiFEST 2014: South Asian Music Ignites Toronto

Showbiz Jun 04, 2014

by Anokhi Admin

desiFEST 2014 brings crowds to Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square.

For its 8th consecutive year, desiFEST did not disappoint as it brought Yonge-Dundas Square alive for a 12-hour non-stop open air concert on May 31.

The free celebration which was available to the public came with no age restrictions or tickets required as its designed to promote desi music to the masses while creating opportunities for artists within the urban South Asian genre.

“Music is such a powerful force to fuel change, share messages and en- gage audiences to support our community. This is why we started, and why we continue to grow desiFEST with the support of our wonderful sponsors TD and Crest,” said desiFEST founder Sathish Bala. Up and comers as well as established artists from Canada, the US and the UK ignited the desiFEST stage in front of 40,000 eager fans throughout the day long festival.

Destiny, an award-winning West Indian crossover band that infuses elements of soca, reggae, R&B and chutney, opened the festival.

Actor Vinay Virmani and Singer Raghav on stage promoting upcoming film Dr. Cabbie

SynSational, the famous Brampton-based duo known for remixing popular Bollywood songs like Tum Hi Ho, were back by popular demand to perform for the second year.

UK artist Raxstar, whose hits include Jaaneman that had more than 2 million views on YouTube, performed as well. Raxstar integrates both British and South Asian elements within his songs, and he has been quoted as saying, “This duality is an integral part of my identity as a British Asian. The culture I inherited and the one I was brought up in are worlds apart, but there are millions like me who are also trying to figure it all out. Music is my creative outlet to explore that journey.”

Later in the evening, the crowd erupted as surprise guests, actor Vinay Virmani and singer Raghav took to the stage to promote the upcoming Hollywood film Dr. Cabbie.

Nouman Khalid, the New York-based artist known for his collaboration with rapper Osama Com Laude for the hit song Desi Thumka, was a hit this year.

Rapper Choclair and Singer Michee Mee join Culture Shock on stage

World renowned fusion band and ANOKHI 2014 awardees, Culture Shock closed desiFEST with their crowd-friendly beats. DJ Baba Kahn, who first introduced the band in 2008 with the album Culture Shock: East Meets West, singer Sunny Brown, known for his Punjabi flare, and English R&B singer and songwriter Lomaticc performed their hit remixes of Bollywood and Bhangra songs with an urban twist. And just as energy levels peaked with fans jumping in unison, the unsuspecting audience roared as Toronto reggae artist Michee Mee and rapper Choclair joined the trio on stage for a finale performance of Toronto Raptors anthem “We the North”.

There were also performances from Ryerson University’s South Asian Alliance, Cre8ive Arts and TD Bank Dancers. The action-packed event was presented by Zee TV Canada, the Government of Ontario, TD Bank and Crest, and was such a success that the crowds stayed long after the last performance.

The music continues on June 21, as the team moves the excitement out of the city to Celebration Square in Mississauga for their next event of the summer – Hungama! Currently in its second year, this event delivers an evening of outdoor Bollywood entertainment, food and family fun in the heart of Mississauga.

_{All images courtesy of desifest}

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desiFEST 2014: South Asian Music Ignites Toronto

by Anokhi Admin

desiFEST 2014 brings crowds to Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square.

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