Massive South Asian Festival Regales Fans With Bollywood And Fusion Music, Dances, A KidsZone & Food
Mississauga: The largest South Asian festival in Canada, #BollywoodMonster Mashup presented by TD Bank Group, wrapped up the final day of the four-day long festival this past weekend with the largest and most lively festival to date. Aaman Trikha, presented by TELUS, and Khushboo Grewal, the two international Bollywood singers who had fans eager to attend the festivities, both put on superb performances at Mississauga Celebration Square.
On Saturday, July 21 at the #BollywoodMonster Finale, Aaman Trikha had the Square rocking with his upbeat energy and unbelievable vocals. He performed his hit song “Hookah Bar” and had the crowd screaming and singing along. On Friday, July 20 at the #BollywoodMonster Concert, Khushboo Grewal took to the stage and sung a wide variety of timeless Bollywood hits from the 80’s to the latest tracks, which captivated the audience and had them dancing right till the very end.
Attendees also witnessed a fusion of singers and songs, including the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra who returned to the BMM stage for the eighth straight year. The band blended a variety of contemporary Western chart toppers with popular Bollywood hits and had the crowd rocking out. Families and children also took part in the free KidZone that was offered and learned tips from passionate chefs at the wide assortment of chef demos. Before the #BollywoodMonster Finale wrapped up on Saturday, July 21, fans who tweeted throughout the weekend using the hashtag #BollywoodMonster were entered into a contest to meet one of this year’s headliners, Aaman Trikha. Over 20 lucky fans were greeted by Trikha, and got to snap a picture with the hit singer.
“The eighth year of #BollywoodMonster Mashup was another huge success. Bringing the crowd the incredible lineup we did and witnessing the energy at the Square this weekend was so rewarding” says Executive Director, Vikas Kohli. “Having something for every attendee at this festival is always our team’s mission, and it was amazing offering chef demos, dance lessons, a KidZone, and much more for our audience. We’re very grateful that we had over 200 artists, 300 volunteers, as well as the many great sponsors, funders, community collaborators, media partners and vendors who all contributed their efforts to make the largest South Asian festival in Canada the huge party that it was!”
#BollywoodMonster Mashup is produced by MonstrARTity, an incorporated not-for-profit arts organization that creates innovative world-class productions. In addition to #BollywoodMonster Mashup, MonstrARTity produces another monstrous production known an #MonsterWorld Mashup. In the spirit of giving back to the community, MonstrARTity runs the #MonsterArts for Youth program, which brings professional artists into the classroom to teach students about South Asian arts. This year, the team at MonstrARTity is excited to launch the #MonsterArtist Development program to help local and international musicians.
Award-winning film composer and music producer, Vikas Kohli is the Artistic Director of MonstrARTity and is known for his expertise fusing together genres as varied as punk, classical and Bollywood pop. He has received the Trailblazer Award from the ReelWorld Film Festival, Voice Achievers Award and a MARTY award from the Mississauga Arts Council. Kohli is on the Board of Directors for Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF), the Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the City of Mississauga and has been profiled on ET Canada, CBC The National, The Globe & Mail, The Hindustan Times and Zee News. Born in Ottawa, Kohli attended fine arts school, received an Honours Degree in Mathematics & Philosophy from the University of Toronto, his MBA from the Schulich School of Business and his CFA.