Celebrate the rich culture of India on Saturday, February 20, when the thirteenth annual IndiaFEST comes to the Meyer Amphitheatre. Hosted by the Palm Beach India Association, the annual festival welcomes more than 15,000 people to experience the rich, ethnic, and cultural diversity of India with live entertainment with Indian musicians, dancers, and performers, cooking demonstrations, yoga sessions, a fabulous fashion show, arts and crafts, and vendors selling an array of goods from jewelry to clothing and more.
With a mission to create cultural awareness of India and its people to the Palm Beach County community, IndiaFEST is the vehicle that introduces the varying and vast cuisine, costumes, sounds, and dances of everyday India. With traditional dances set to classical music performances to represent the different regions of India, various food vendors, and arts and crafts available for purchase, IndiaFEST hopes to give festivalgoers a small glimpse of the cultural dynamism that makes up the second most populous nation on the planet.
- IndiaFEST 2016 will take place at the Meyer Amphitheatre on Saturday, February 20 with gates opening at 10 a.m. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit sfindiafest.org.
This year, PBIA has lined-up an impressive array of international artists to join IndiaFEST, each showcasing a unique aspect of India’s diverse culture:
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Jonita Gandhi, known as Toronto’s Nightingale, performs an eclectic mix of Sufi, Bollywood, western classics, R&B, and more. With a background in Bollywood music, Gandhi’s performances are bold, colorful, and entertaining.
Musician Anirudh Bhola first began performing at the age of 10. Influenced by A.R. Rahman, Bhola’s repertoire includes a diverse collection of Indian Classical, Indi Pop, Bollywood numbers, Sufi tracks, rock and even Sufi rock.
Hungry? Hopping Chef’s award-winning culinaire, Chef Michael Swamy will lead a cooking demonstration in Indian cuisine. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu and trained under Michelin Star chefs, Swamy brings the distinct flavors of the subcontinent and merges them with global fare that’s not to be missed.
Born in Chennai and raised in Virginia, Vidya Vox has mixed the best of both worlds—Bollywood and Western pop—for unique YouTube mash-ups that have garnered millions of views worldwide. Trained in Carnatic classical music, and currently studying Hindustani Classical and Western voice, Vox’s unique voice is sure to entertain.
Bangladeshi-American musician, electronic music producer, and DJ, Sanjoy Deb merges his love for house with Bollywood influences for a sound that is fully unique.
Join the cultural fun and try your hand at vinyasa yoga. Led by Palm Beach yoga studio Haute Yoga, attendees can participate in a yoga session, leaving guests feeling relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated in mind, body and spirit.IndiaFEST 2016 will bring an exciting day filled with performances from India, including: Bhangra, Raas, Koli Dance, Rajasthani Dance, Naga Dance, Thillana, Dashavataram, Kavadi, Kathak, Orriyan Folk Dance, a Flower Dance, Peacock dance, and a fashion show; and classical musicians performing on the sitar, dholak, tabla, mudran, and flute provide a display of resonating Indian music and lyrical vibrations. Between performances, the audience may enjoy themselves at the many booths consisting of jewelry, clothing, arts and craft, sculptures, or indulge with the delicacies of Indian cuisine.
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