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"This ideal
party band . . . also bears messages of togetherness. . . . The rhythms
of Indian Ragas and reggae have striking similarities, while the Latin,
African and contemporary funk that's spicing this one-sound, many-voices
stew fits the all-world melange to a tee. Whatever your background,
there's music here for you."
-Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star
FUNKADESI
is a dynamic ensemble of musicians that integrate East Indian music
(Hindi film, folk, and classical) with reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean
grooves. Funkadesi has received critical acclaim from mainstream press
in Toronto, London, New York, and Chicago.
The
band members’ cultural backgrounds are as diverse as the music,
including Indian-American, Jamaican, African-American,
European-American, and Latino heritages. The excitement that Funkadesi
has created has captured the attention of a rapidly-growing
multicultural fan base, both in the greater Chicago area, and across
North America. The diverse repertoire of the band enables them to
headline in settings as diverse as mainstream Chicago and New York dance
nightclubs (e.g., House of Blues, Park West, Sounds of Brazil,
etc.); prominent festivals (Toronto World Rhythms Festival and
Chicago World Music Festival); university concerts; specialized
cultural concerts; all-ages shows; and a variety of musical/cultural
workshops on drumming, dance, etc.
In addition to Funkadesi’s debut
full-length CD, “Uncut Roots,” Funkadesi has released a
self-titled EP. Both of these have been released by Funkadesi’s own
IACA Records. A track of Funkadesi’s is on a compilation of the best
of Chicago music, entitled “Chicago Rapid Transit Grooves” by NoVo
Records, which includes tracks from Liquid Soul, Terry Callier, and Poi
Dog Pondering.
Funkadesi was
founded by bassist/sitarist Dr. Rahul Sharma. Sharma began the project
while finishing his doctorate in Clinical Psychology, specializing in
Intercultural Psychology. Sharma made a bold (but equally foolish) move
of booking a gig on December 6th, 1996 at the Heartland Café,
before securing the band. The two lead singers, Jamaican-born Valroy
Dawkins and India-born Radhika Chimata, did not meet each other until
the evening of the show. Despite this, the debut was a success. The
audience, as well as everyone in the project, felt that the foundation
was laid, and that the chemistry was just going to continue. 7 of the
9-member ensemble remain from the original ensemble almost six years
ago; and the two “newcomers” have been with the project for over 4
years.
The band is
quite diverse, not only in race/ethnicity, but also in professional
backgrounds, age, as well as artistically/musically:
Drummer/percussionist Meshach Silas is also Music Director of the
acclaimed West African/African-American dance troupe, Minianka.
Lead singer
Valroy Dawkins is the principal dancer of the West Indian Folk Dance
Company.
Congero
Carlos Antonio Cornier teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music,
as well as for youth around the city.
Lead singer
Radhika Chimata is pursuing her doctorate in Community Psychology.
Keyboardist
Dr. Inder Paul Singh is a medical resident.
Saxophonist
Kristin McGee is pursuing her doctorate in Ethnomusicology.
Tabla/dhol
player Maninder Singh is a software engineer.
Guitarist
Abdul Hakeem is a full-time gigging musician – one of the most
sought after guitarists in the city.
One of Funkadesi’s
proudest accomplishments is having brought out some of Chicago’s diverse
audiences to date. Also, by combining more modern “fusion” of
transglobal sounds with roots-watering traditional performances,
Funkadesi is also able to showcase aspects of culture/art in
non-traditional settings. (E.g., at the CD release party at Park West,
there were West African stilt-wakers – Chakaba – on stage and in the
audience, representing the spirits of the ancestors.) In short,
Funkadesi is proud to combine the spirit of fun with a much-needed sense
of peace and unity in diversity. |
