Over time South Asian music scene has established itself across Canada and it gets bigger and bigger every year.

This year RBC desiFEST, a street celebration of South Asian Heritage Month featuring Canada’s top South Asian artist in a music marathon being held in Toronto, has broadened its audience with a series of performances in Vancouver and Montreal.

Festival founder and director Sathish Bala told the Asian Pacific Post that RBC desiFEST Vancouver will present the very best of South Asian Canadian music and dance with contemporary indo-jazz fusion and world music along with cutting edge DJs from South Asia and Canada.

“It will be a 12-hour free concert showcasing the evolution of Indo-Canadian dance and music,” says Bala. “We are also looking to find the best South Asian artist from Vancouver to perform in front of your home crowd along with our international headliners.

He adds that as a bonus, the most popular artist/band in Vancouver will get to play at desiFEST Toronto in front of 16,000 plus at Yonge and Dundas Square. RBC desiFEST is Toronto’s only South Asian Canadian music festival with some 20 plus outstanding and internationally acclaimed South Asian Canadian artists.

“We are travelling across the country to find the best South Asian artists and showcase them in their home cities and bring them to Toronto’s main event,” Bala said.

RBC desiFEST will also feature dance and music workshops, cooking demonstrations as well as arts and crafts vendors and traditional South Asian delicacies.

Get your desi-groove on and celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with RBC desiFEST.
Come and experience the modern sounds, delectable sights and aromatic flavours of South Asia right here in downtown Vancouver.

Last year among those that performed in Toronto includes internationally acclaimed indo-fusion duo JOSH, The Bilz - best known for their international hit single 2Step Bhangra, Canadian R&B sensation Deesha, rock band Zameer - nominated for the ‘Best Independent Artist’ award at the 2006 Toronto Independent Music Awards, and internationally renowned dance group Shiamak.

Other performers such master tabla player Trichi Sankaran, Friends of Raagas, Toronto’s #1 DJ Baba Kahn, katak phenomenon Monika Monga and the mesmerizing dancers of Kama Entertainment stunned the crowd during last year’s festival. The 12-hour music extravaganza in Toronto ended with an explosive finale featuring DJ Amita & Bollywood Grooves.

If you think you have the talent and ready to perform at the RBC desiFest Vancouver set on April 23, contact Rina Gill at rina@iccc.org or call 778 688 4973 for audition details.