Sunny Jain from Red Baraat

One of my favorite new finds of Festival International 2011 was Red Baraat, a self-described "Dhol'n'Brass" band based in New York City. I'm mortifyingly late to catch on -- I've heard their name a couple dozen times by now on "Best Of..." lists and festival lineups, but it only finally clicked when I saw them live and I'm now officially a fan. Led by Sunny Jain on dhol (a barrel-shaped two-headed Indian drum), Red Baraat incorporates bhangra, Indian brass band music (a vibrant and still-evolving relic from the colonial days), funk, and even Latin jazz. Good stuff, this!