At a Red Baraat show, the combination of Punjabi Bhangra music, New Orleans-style jazz, go-go and even hip-hop is so seamless — and the vibe of the party is so exuberant — that barriers fall down. That unique sound is what Red Baraat's leader, Sunny Jain, had in mind when he formed the band in Brooklyn in 2008.

A jazz drummer, Jain was inspired by the baraats, the wedding processionals he'd seen in Punjabi during a family visit. At the center of Red Baraat's music is the two-headed dhol Jain plays. Assisted by other drummers, horn players and even a guy on the sousaphone who raps, Red Baraat's acoustic sound shines on the recent Shruggy Ji.

This installment of World Cafe was first published on May 29, 2013.

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