Soundcheck

Red Baraat Spreads Defiantly Joyful Bhangra Music (Archives)

06.28.2021 - By WNYC StudiosPlay

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On the face of it, Red Baraat is a dhol-driven big band full of brass instruments and drums (both the dhol and drumset keep the groove going), rooted in Bhangra music (Punjabi dance music), who bring a party with them wherever they go. On their l2018 record, Sound the People, they combine the sounds of South Asian diaspora, along with jazz, hip-hop, psychedelia, and a bit of Caribbean music, to draw attention to issues of migration, colonialism, and our current political climate. The record blends instruments, cultures, and offers an aural tribute to "the way diversity makes, and has always made, America great.” With songs that make a joyfully and defiantly disruptive ruckus for dancing, the band Red Baraat plays in-studio (Archives, 2018). 

Watch the full session here: 

Watch the individual songs below:

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