FUN, SUN AND SOUTH ASIAN VIBRANCE – JULY 27 AND 28!

The non-profit group, Arts and Culture Initiative of South Asia (ACISA),
is gearing up to entertain the crowds of Brampton, Mississauga and surrounding cities, with
Vibrant Brampton, a free two-day festival that is taking place at Sheridan College Grounds, Davis
Campus in Brampton on July 27 and 28. Apart from performing arts, ACISA will be also be
presenting a two-week long Visual Arts of South Asian (V.A.S.A. – Arts Festival), titled Colours of
South Asia, which will run from July 15 to 28 at Beaux Arts in downtown Brampton. The festivals
have several components including hands on workshops, Q & A Panel discussions, a pre-event
party and a Gala reception at Brampton City Hall Conservatory on July 26th.
The festival is being sponsored by RBC, Value Mobile, Downtown Brampton BIA.
A phenomenal Indo-Jazz Bollywood dance show is being choreographed by Shiamak Dance
Toronto, while excited fans are looking forward to the classical and fusion kathak performance
by the talented Panwar Dance Group. Award-winning Indian classical dancer Enakshi Sinha
together with Flamenco dancer, Tamar Ilana will be presenting yet another fusion arts
performance, Danseuse, Gunja Chakravarty and her team are set to wow the crowds with their
Bharatnatyam-Contemporary blend through Gunja’s brand, Nrityadeep.
This free and open festival will have the crowds dancing and humming to old and new songs in
numerous languages from bands and individual artists from the GTA like Harpreet Dhillon,
Punjabi youth singing sensation, Kamal UK, Indo-Canadian Bollywood heartthrob Parichay, along
with Saregama semi finalist Sumana Ganguly. Juno nominated artist, Tony Singh will have the
crowds screaming for more with his band Sirens of Shanti, while the band, KARMA, of Lost Again
fame will ‘wow’ the crowds with an East and West mix of music. International multi-talented
artist, Miraya and Punjabi artist Jassi Kaur will regale the crowds with their popular numbers.
Festival chairman Sandeep Prabhakar says, “This year, ACISA is ensuring that the 15 days of the
celebration of Arts and Culture is a real treat to the community! Whether you like to dance to
the beats of Bollywood or sway to diverse music, get a taste of mouth-watering South Asian
cuisine or buy a souvenir, it will be a festival to remember this summer.
Celebrity hosts for this year’s festival include Jake Dheer, Amin Dhillon, Annie Koshy and Nav
Nanwa. Svetlana Lazareva, Director Communications added, “this year we have over 200 artists
from a variety of cultural backgrounds celebrating arts and culture”.
You only need to be a fan of music, art or dance or just be a summer festival enthusiast!
Whatever your interest, Vibrant Brampton and the V.A.S.A. – Arts Festival will be the highlight
of the summer and something worth attending!
ABOUT KARMA
KARMA has a repertoire that encompasses both new and age-old classics and originals of both
Hindi and English rock songs. Created in 2011 under the influence of lead singer and guitarist,
D€€ Chakravarty and his brother Abhi Chakraverty, the band rocked the Reverbnation rock charts
to #3 with their original song, Lost Again. The artists in the group bring a unique flavour to the
music they create based on their own individual influences. Their interactive manner with the
crowd is a sure pleaser as they are known to get everyone on their feet and dancing.
ABOUT NRITYADEEP
Nrityadeep is a dance company dedicated towards traditional forms of dance performances
fused together with modern art styles. Artistic Founder and Director Gunja Chakraborty
embodies her passion for classical and new-age dances. With over a decade of formal training in
Bharatanatyam she also excels in contemporary Bollywood dance. More information can be
found at www.nrityadeep.com.
ABOUT SHIAMAK TORONTO DANCE
SHIAMAK Toronto Dance team consists of some of the brightest and most promising talent in the
GTA! Handpicked by Shiamak Davar himself, they have made their mark all over Ontario with
power packed performances that explode with energy and keep the audiences wanting more and
more.
ABOUT ACISA
Arts and Culture Initiative of South Asia (ACISA) is a non- profit organization with a vision to:
Promote cross cultural understanding with the aim to bringing a diverse community together in
celebration of life, culture, art and tradition.
The Mission is to promote the diversity of South Asian art forms by showcasing local artistes and
providing them with an opportunity to present their work to a wide range of audience (Non South
Asians & South Asians).
To break cultural barriers and encourage participation, allowing all communities from Brampton
to experience the different forms of South Asian Arts and culture.
The Board of ACISA consist of voluntary members from all walks of life, which include:
Sandeep Prabhakar- Festival Chair, Ricky Bajaj -Festival President, Arpan Banerjee- Festival
Secretary, Aparna Rangnekar- Director, Visual Arts Festival, Ashapurna Doktor – Director,
Programming, Svetlana Lazareva- Director, Communications
ABOUT ANNIE J KOSHY – MEDIA CONSULTANT
Established in 2016, the Annie J Koshy – Media Consultant has developed a reputation for
expertise in Media Relations, PR and Promotion of those in the arts, media and entertainment
industries, as well as in Marketing and Community Outreach. The multi-award winning working
brand, has a vast network, both within the South Asian as well as the mainstream communities
and has the leverage to develop meaningful associations amongst individuals, businesses and
within the media fraternity. (www.anniejkoshy.com)