Diwalifest 2013 is a ten day festival based in across the Lower Mainland that celebrates Diwali – the South Asian festival of lights.

The closing event for this year is Chai House, an intimate cabaret-style showcase featuring South Asian musicians and dancers from across the Lower Mainland and beyond.

Chai House's star attraction is Chin Injeti. Singer, musician, and music producer, he got his start as a founding member of Juno award-winning group Bass is Base. He has worked in many genres from rock to country and most notably hip-hop, and done recent work with DJ Khalil and Pink, and toured around the world and shared the stage with Busta Rhymes, the Roots, Ziggy Marley, and A Tribe Called Quest. 

Also part of the event will be NaQsh IPB, a Punjabi rock band led by Daksh Kubba, and formed in 2007. The members hail from New Delhi and Lahore, Pakistan. They were the only Pakistani band to perform at the Olympics in 2010. The other members are guitarist Imran Habib, drummer Aman, and bassist Irfan Lawrence.

LAPIS is Mohamed Assani and Rup Sidhu. They met while playing at Diwali festival - Rup with his bhangra, dancehall and hip hop act, and Mohamed performing Indian classical music on the sitar.

Their paths crossed again when they collaborated on a sound track for the National Film Board and thus began their creative adventure. They have been joined by percussionist Curtis Andrews.

The ever-popular DJ A-Slam will be performing with special guest dancers, one doing Bollywood, and the other Chutney (Indian/Reggae fusion).

Tickets are $20 and available at https://tickets.surrey.ca or call 604-501-5566.

 For more information on the schedule of events, go to  www.diwalifest.ca.