Sound the People

Brooklyn-based Red Baraat are an international, bhangra-infused version of the brass bands that accompany Indian weddings and festivals. Their latest album is full of the bounce and verve that characterise the performances of their South Asian cousins. What makes this a more obviously New York outfit are the jazzy elements and arrangements, while there is some ferocious playing on the solos by Sonny Singh (trumpet) and Jonathon Haffner (sax). The disc opens with a driving uptempo instrumental, followed by the more identifiably South Asian ‘Kala Mukhra’, featuring vocals by the Pakistani singer Ali Sethi. This playing with genre continues throughout, all the while being driven by distinctly Punjabi percussion, even on the more contemplative ‘Vibrations’. I particularly liked the Latin edge to ‘Holi ke Din’ and laughed out loud at the segue into the no doubt tongue-in-cheek ‘Punjaub March’. To sum up, this is a highly enjoyable combination of fun and great musicianship with never a dull moment.