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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

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2021 ARTISTS

Headliners

Raftaar

Born Dilin Nair in Trivandrum, Kerala, Raftaar has been creating waves in Indian music circles since 2013. Rapper/singer, writer, producer, composer and television personality Raftaar is one such example of how success is built with one’s own determination and hard work.

Raftaar has brilliantly managed to carve his own brand of desi hip-hop catering to the urban millennials and avid music enthusiasts. From testing his rap material on Orkut in his initial days and being employed as a salesman trying to make ends meet, today Raftaar is among the country’s best-known rappers. But the song that really launched him into the rap lovers’ imagination was his debut number Swag Mera Desi. Bollywood took note and Raftaar has had successful collaborations with artists like AR Rahman, Badshah, Vishal Shekhar, Humble The Poet and Sarb Smooth. Fluent in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu rap, he has contributed to films like Bullet Raja, Heropanti, Dr. Cabbie, Tum Bin2, Kaabil, Dangal, Fukrey 2, Bhaiyaaji Superhit and Tiger Zinda Hai.

Aside of his freestyle mixtape ‘WTF – Witness The Future’ and his first solo album ‘Zero To Infinity’, some of his other well charted tracks include Instagram Love, Desi Hip Hop Tere Wargi Nai Ae, Mera Highway Star, Lak Hilaade, Fukra Flow, Sniper, Stand Up, Goli and Happy Single.

Javed Ali

Javed Ali is a very well appreciated, prolific Indian playback singer. Born and brought up in Delhi. Javed Ali started singing at a very early age with his father Ustad Hamid Hussian. Javed Ali is widely regarded as the versatile golden voice of all time in the Bollywood film industry. Javed Ali is a singer with a vast repertoire, as he got to sing in different genres of music like classical, semi-classical, Sufi, romantic, ghazal, etc.

His latest release “Ishq Kamaal” from Sadak 2 , the title track of “Khuda Hafiz”, “Naina Lade Ke Lade” from “Dabangg 3” and also the Telugu song “Nee Kannu Neeli Samundram” from “Uppena” are at the top of all the music charts. The romantic singles “Toh Yeh Subh Nahi” & “Rangreziya”, both composed by Javeed Ali, were equally favored by music critics.

He is a regular performer in the Living Legend AR Rahman concerts. He performed with the Legend for “Jai Ho” Concerts, Dubai Sufi Concerts, and has also performed in the concerts “Encore 2018, Celebrating 25years of Rahman” in various cities in India. Javed Ali has performed in different music festivals like DenHaag Festival Holland, San Antonio, Paris, Amsterdam Music festival, BBC London etc. On the 15th of August, 2016 Javed Ali performed at the Headquarters of the United Nation with maestro A.R. Rahman to celebrate India’s 70th Independence Day.

Harshdeep Kaur

She’s wowed you with her soulful melodies and her magical voice. The multi award winning sensational Bollywood playback singer Harshdeep Kaur is known for her Bollywood Hindi, Punjabi and Sufi songs. She is popularly known as “Sufi Ki Sultana” because of her soulful Sufi renditions. She has recorded songs for film music in various Indian languages, such as Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujrati, Bengali and many more, and is today a leading playback singer of Indian cinema. She has had the privilege of having worked with all the leading music directors in India. She’s one of the very few Indian singers to have sung for a Hollywood movie. Her track R.I.P. composed by AR Rahman was a part of Oscar winner director Danny Boyle’s film 127 Hours.

Katiya Karun from Rockstar, Heer from Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ik Onkar from Rang De Basanti, Zaalima from Raees, Nachde Ne Saare from Baar Baar Dekho, Bari Barsi from Band Baaja Baaraat, Kabira from Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Jugni ji from Cocktail, Twist Kamariya from Bareilly ki Barfi and Dilbaro from Raazi are some of her popular songs.

Priyanka

What’s her name? Priyanka! After being crowned the first-ever winner of Canada’s Drag Race, Priyanka has become an international drag sensation, cultural icon and pop princess. Her debut visual EP was released this summer and its lead single “Cake” continues to garner global acclaim. She is the host and star of What’s My Game? on WOWPresents Plus, and the co-host of a new podcast, Famous This Week along with Canada’s Drag Race host and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 finalist, Brooke Lynn Hytes. Priyanka self-produces a weekly YouTube series and is set to tour the UK, U.S. and Canada in Fall 2021. Priyanka is of Indo-Guyanese descent.

Concert Artists

Giggle Queens

Giggle Queens is a choreography/performance duo by Ria Aikat and Jennalee Desjardins. They specialize in fusion dance projects that combine Eastern and Western dance styles such as Bollywood and Bharatanatyam with Waacking and Hip Hop. They also like laughing.
Giggle Queens has performed in the Culture Shock Canada Showcase 2017, #BollywoodMonster Mashup in 2018 and 2020, the City Dance Corps Annual Showcase, as well as several video/music video works.

Giggle Queens are pioneers in fusion, inclusion and positivity; hiring and supporting young dance artists across the GTA. It is their mission to add a layer of comedy and charisma to their dance acts.
BollyHeelsTO

We are BollyHeelsTO, a Bollywood fusion dance company, established in 2020, that fuses Indian classical, Bollywood and Western styles of dance, performed in heels. Our inspiration for creating dance works relate to story-telling, from the history of South Asians, to story-telling of individuals in our community. BollyHeelsTO will be bringing you a classic Bollywood piece with a fusion in heels. Our performance will be showcased by some of the area’s best dancers.
Melissa Marie Dance

Melissa Marie Dance strives to bring young women together to celebrate their West Indian culture through the arts. Our performance this year incorporates some Western dance forms along with our Caribbean styles to fuse together both of our Canadian and Indo-Caribbean heritage. Melissa Marie Dance, a Mississauga and Brampton based team, has been able to reach out to a diverse group of young women through various dance forms such as Bollywood, Soca, Chutney, Hip-hop, Fusion and more through its 2.5 year run. We hope to continue to build the Melissa Marie Dance Family as the months go on. This year we were able to participate in the 2nd annual Kids Help Phone Dance A Thon and raise money for youth in need. Last year, we also participated in the virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert and we received incredibly positive feedback worldwide. We are excited to show the globe what Melissa Marie Dance has in store this year for the 2nd virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert. This performance was put together 90% virtually due to the pandemic. It was a difficult challenge for everyone involved, but we are so proud of all the hard work they have put in and the challenges they have overcome putting together more than one dance routine virtually as a team.
Rahul Sathu

Rahul Sathu is a singer/music producer based in Brampton, Canada, who is well known for his melodic voice and hit making production skills. His collaborations as a music producer includes Race 3 for Salman Khan, Do Gallan, Like you & Love you Jatta for Garry Sandhu. His most recent collaboration as a singer was with Bollywood superstars like Raftaar, Arjun Kanungo, Ananya Birla, KING.
CrossGen

Peel based musicians and singers who decided to collaborate for this year’s festival. Loaded with versatility and a clear vision, this year we are trying to give the GTA a whole new experience.
The Band Destiny

Loud, energetic, passionate and diverse are just some of the many words that describe the band Destiny.
Destiny is a Brampton based crossover band that was formed in 2007. Currently the members include; Stephen Nanan (Founder/Keyboards), Curtis B (Vocalist), Kiran Dindial (Drummer), Kamela Singh (Vocalist), Vijai Ramdath (Engineer), Logun (Vocalist), Don (Bassist), Darren Armorgam (Guitarist) and Celine Nanan (Machines). Together they make up Destiny; creating a fusion of music that incorporates genres including Soca, Reggae, R&B, Chutney, Crossover and Indian.
Destiny not only brings their own energetic vibes to the stage, but also a positive energy allowing them to continuously excel in their performance. Awarded Top Soca band of the year in 2012/2017/2018, they have been blessed with the opportunity to perform for the Vancouver, Toronto, Barrie and Vaughan carnivals, which have resulted in outstanding reviews from all the critics and promoters in attendance.
They are like a family, a cohesive unit that brings their musical talent together creating music that unifies all people.
Pure Soul Energy

Ritu Neb is the founder and director of Mississauga’s Pure Soul Energy Dance Academy. She has received wide acclaim for her deep commitment to the dance and expressive style. Ritu is a professional expressive dance instructor and is able to develop flexibility and mobility in her students. Pure Soul Energy performance group have performed at numerous events like TIDF, Panorama India, TD Mosaic, Festival of South Asia, Taste of India and many more across the GTA in the past 6 years. The group will be performing an upbeat Bollywood dance mix. The Dance Academy provides classes to seniors, kids, youth & adults.
Veils of Bollywood

Veils of Bollywood is a dance collective specializing in Bollywood and South Asian fusion vocabularies. Founded in 2019 by Rameez Karim, who trained in Mississauga, Veils of Bollywood aims to create art mindfully, showcase its diversity of movement and educate audiences about Bollywood culture. Veils of Bollywood has participated in many events including Calgary Pride, Holi Montreal and Fierté Montreal Pride. The troupe has also performed in various cities across Canada and the United States, including Montreal, Toronto, Dallas, Brossard and Edmonton. Through community outreach in physical and digital spaces, Veils of Bollywood aims to inspire, engage and celebrate cultural dance using performance and art.
Frog in Hand Productions Inc.

Frog in Hand is a dance-theatre company based in Mississauga. They create works in unusual site-specific places; they perform, create and teach. Their dances for MonsterARTity’s 2021 festival represent a completely unique blend of movement forms, a fusion of cultures and Frog in Hand’s signature fun, physical storytelling. Their first work, led by Ankita Alemona, blends contemporary dance with Kalaripayattu (the oldest martial art form in the world, from Kerala, India). Their second work, led by Colleen Snell, is inspired by the playful energy of Bollywood star Kishore Kumar, and blends jazz with contemporary movement. The performers are drawn from Frog in Hand’s 2021 Summer Company.
Mango Lassi

Humza A. Mian aka Mango Lassi is a queer Canadian-Pakistani from Peel who currently resides in the GTA. He is a Registered Veterinary Technician who works in the downtown core, and a drag queen who got his start on social media. The focus of his drag is to bring awareness to the existence of queer Desi folk and breaking the chains of toxic masculinity that hold so many queer Desi’s back from expressing themselves. With the help of brands run primarily by PoC, Humza has branched into the world of commercial makeup artistry and is currently focusing on representing brands that encourage diversity and inclusion. His most current drag looks can be seen on his Instagram page (@_humzer) and are heavily influenced by his cultural background.
Sanjina

Sanjina was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. With a background in acting, dance and entertainment, she moved to the GTA two years ago to pursue her passion as a performer. Sanjina has been doing drag for 2 years now. A powerhouse performer, she breathes dance and lives for the performance. Music is like her puppeteer, a snake charmer in control and when she hits that stage, she hits that stage, all eyes and attention are on her. It’s the full Bollyhood Remix experience baby. She is Toronto’s BollyHood remix item Drag Queen.
Miss Shay Dee

For the past 6 years, Miss Shay Dee (born Ivan Bocanegra) has been inspiring and empowering youth and young adults through the art of dance and drag. Miss Shay Dee was born in Mexico and now living in Canada. As a new performer and entertainer, Miss Shay Dee serves all her dancing skills to the show by also promoting her Latina heritage into play. ⁠
⁠
Although her “Miss Shay Dee” persona may imply a sense of “shady”, she is kind, lovable, and always looking to shine a ray of light onto everyone’s day. ⁠
⁠
Miss Shay Dee is a strong supporter of diversity & inclusion, and she is in collaboration with many organizations such as So Fierce Foundation, BollyHeelsTO, The Stem Cell Club, The Concerned Kids +, Drag Academy, Fabulous Me, Jessica Garces Photography & The Haus of ShayDee. ⁠
⁠
Miss Shay Dee is also a recording artist and actress. Her music involves mixes of Pop, Hip-Hop, Latin and most recently Bollywood, where she worked with BollyHeelsTO and many Bollywood Drag Artists. As a BIPOC member, Shay Dee seeks to inspire youth by promoting culture & diversity. Being a Latin queen, she has always felt drawn to the world of Bollywood. Miss Shay Dee has a Bollywood bombshell side to her.
Giggle Queens

Giggle Queens is a choreography/performance duo by Ria Aikat and Jennalee Desjardins. They specialize in fusion dance projects that combine Eastern and Western dance styles such as Bollywood and Bharatanatyam with Waacking and Hip Hop. They also like laughing.
Giggle Queens has performed in the Culture Shock Canada Showcase 2017, #BollywoodMonster Mashup in 2018 and 2020, the City Dance Corps Annual Showcase, as well as several video/music video works.

Giggle Queens are pioneers in fusion, inclusion and positivity; hiring and supporting young dance artists across the GTA. It is their mission to add a layer of comedy and charisma to their dance acts.
BollyHeelsTO

We are BollyHeelsTO, a Bollywood fusion dance company, established in 2020, that fuses Indian classical, Bollywood and Western styles of dance, performed in heels. Our inspiration for creating dance works relate to story-telling, from the history of South Asians, to story-telling of individuals in our community. BollyHeelsTO will be bringing you a classic Bollywood piece with a fusion in heels. Our performance will be showcased by some of the area’s best dancers.
Melissa Marie Dance

Melissa Marie Dance strives to bring young women together to celebrate their West Indian culture through the arts. Our performance this year incorporates some Western dance forms along with our Caribbean styles to fuse together both of our Canadian and Indo-Caribbean heritage. Melissa Marie Dance, a Mississauga and Brampton based team, has been able to reach out to a diverse group of young women through various dance forms such as Bollywood, Soca, Chutney, Hip-hop, Fusion and more through its 2.5 year run. We hope to continue to build the Melissa Marie Dance Family as the months go on. This year we were able to participate in the 2nd annual Kids Help Phone Dance A Thon and raise money for youth in need. Last year, we also participated in the virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert and we received incredibly positive feedback worldwide. We are excited to show the globe what Melissa Marie Dance has in store this year for the 2nd virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert. This performance was put together 90% virtually due to the pandemic. It was a difficult challenge for everyone involved, but we are so proud of all the hard work they have put in and the challenges they have overcome putting together more than one dance routine virtually as a team.

Giggle Queens

Giggle Queens is a choreography/performance duo by Ria Aikat and Jennalee Desjardins. They specialize in fusion dance projects that combine Eastern and Western dance styles such as Bollywood and Bharatanatyam with Waacking and Hip Hop. They also like laughing.
Giggle Queens has performed in the Culture Shock Canada Showcase 2017, #BollywoodMonster Mashup in 2018 and 2020, the City Dance Corps Annual Showcase, as well as several video/music video works.

Giggle Queens are pioneers in fusion, inclusion and positivity; hiring and supporting young dance artists across the GTA. It is their mission to add a layer of comedy and charisma to their dance acts.
BollyHeelsTO

We are BollyHeelsTO, a Bollywood fusion dance company, established in 2020, that fuses Indian classical, Bollywood and Western styles of dance, performed in heels. Our inspiration for creating dance works relate to story-telling, from the history of South Asians, to story-telling of individuals in our community. BollyHeelsTO will be bringing you a classic Bollywood piece with a fusion in heels. Our performance will be showcased by some of the area’s best dancers.
Melissa Marie Dance

Melissa Marie Dance strives to bring young women together to celebrate their West Indian culture through the arts. Our performance this year incorporates some Western dance forms along with our Caribbean styles to fuse together both of our Canadian and Indo-Caribbean heritage. Melissa Marie Dance, a Mississauga and Brampton based team, has been able to reach out to a diverse group of young women through various dance forms such as Bollywood, Soca, Chutney, Hip-hop, Fusion and more through its 2.5 year run. We hope to continue to build the Melissa Marie Dance Family as the months go on. This year we were able to participate in the 2nd annual Kids Help Phone Dance A Thon and raise money for youth in need. Last year, we also participated in the virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert and we received incredibly positive feedback worldwide. We are excited to show the globe what Melissa Marie Dance has in store this year for the 2nd virtual #BollywoodMonster Mashup concert. This performance was put together 90% virtually due to the pandemic. It was a difficult challenge for everyone involved, but we are so proud of all the hard work they have put in and the challenges they have overcome putting together more than one dance routine virtually as a team.
Rahul Sathu

Rahul Sathu is a singer/music producer based in Brampton, Canada, who is well known for his melodic voice and hit making production skills. His collaborations as a music producer includes Race 3 for Salman Khan, Do Gallan, Like you & Love you Jatta for Garry Sandhu. His most recent collaboration as a singer was with Bollywood superstars like Raftaar, Arjun Kanungo, Ananya Birla, KING.
CrossGen

Peel based musicians and singers who decided to collaborate for this year’s festival. Loaded with versatility and a clear vision, this year we are trying to give the GTA a whole new experience.
The Band Destiny

Loud, energetic, passionate and diverse are just some of the many words that describe the band Destiny.
Destiny is a Brampton based crossover band that was formed in 2007. Currently the members include; Stephen Nanan (Founder/Keyboards), Curtis B (Vocalist), Kiran Dindial (Drummer), Kamela Singh (Vocalist), Vijai Ramdath (Engineer), Logun (Vocalist), Don (Bassist), Darren Armorgam (Guitarist) and Celine Nanan (Machines). Together they make up Destiny; creating a fusion of music that incorporates genres including Soca, Reggae, R&B, Chutney, Crossover and Indian.
Destiny not only brings their own energetic vibes to the stage, but also a positive energy allowing them to continuously excel in their performance. Awarded Top Soca band of the year in 2012/2017/2018, they have been blessed with the opportunity to perform for the Vancouver, Toronto, Barrie and Vaughan carnivals, which have resulted in outstanding reviews from all the critics and promoters in attendance.
They are like a family, a cohesive unit that brings their musical talent together creating music that unifies all people.
Pure Soul Energy

Ritu Neb is the founder and director of Mississauga’s Pure Soul Energy Dance Academy. She has received wide acclaim for her deep commitment to the dance and expressive style. Ritu is a professional expressive dance instructor and is able to develop flexibility and mobility in her students. Pure Soul Energy performance group have performed at numerous events like TIDF, Panorama India, TD Mosaic, Festival of South Asia, Taste of India and many more across the GTA in the past 6 years. The group will be performing an upbeat Bollywood dance mix. The Dance Academy provides classes to seniors, kids, youth & adults.
Veils of Bollywood

Veils of Bollywood is a dance collective specializing in Bollywood and South Asian fusion vocabularies. Founded in 2019 by Rameez Karim, who trained in Mississauga, Veils of Bollywood aims to create art mindfully, showcase its diversity of movement and educate audiences about Bollywood culture. Veils of Bollywood has participated in many events including Calgary Pride, Holi Montreal and Fierté Montreal Pride. The troupe has also performed in various cities across Canada and the United States, including Montreal, Toronto, Dallas, Brossard and Edmonton. Through community outreach in physical and digital spaces, Veils of Bollywood aims to inspire, engage and celebrate cultural dance using performance and art.
Frog in Hand Productions Inc.

Frog in Hand is a dance-theatre company based in Mississauga. They create works in unusual site-specific places; they perform, create and teach. Their dances for MonsterARTity’s 2021 festival represent a completely unique blend of movement forms, a fusion of cultures and Frog in Hand’s signature fun, physical storytelling. Their first work, led by Ankita Alemona, blends contemporary dance with Kalaripayattu (the oldest martial art form in the world, from Kerala, India). Their second work, led by Colleen Snell, is inspired by the playful energy of Bollywood star Kishore Kumar, and blends jazz with contemporary movement. The performers are drawn from Frog in Hand’s 2021 Summer Company.
Mango Lassi

Humza A. Mian aka Mango Lassi is a queer Canadian-Pakistani from Peel who currently resides in the GTA. He is a Registered Veterinary Technician who works in the downtown core, and a drag queen who got his start on social media. The focus of his drag is to bring awareness to the existence of queer Desi folk and breaking the chains of toxic masculinity that hold so many queer Desi’s back from expressing themselves. With the help of brands run primarily by PoC, Humza has branched into the world of commercial makeup artistry and is currently focusing on representing brands that encourage diversity and inclusion. His most current drag looks can be seen on his Instagram page (@_humzer) and are heavily influenced by his cultural background.
Sanjina

Sanjina was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. With a background in acting, dance and entertainment, she moved to the GTA two years ago to pursue her passion as a performer. Sanjina has been doing drag for 2 years now. A powerhouse performer, she breathes dance and lives for the performance. Music is like her puppeteer, a snake charmer in control and when she hits that stage, she hits that stage, all eyes and attention are on her. It’s the full Bollyhood Remix experience baby. She is Toronto’s BollyHood remix item Drag Queen.
Miss Shay Dee

For the past 6 years, Miss Shay Dee (born Ivan Bocanegra) has been inspiring and empowering youth and young adults through the art of dance and drag. Miss Shay Dee was born in Mexico and now living in Canada. As a new performer and entertainer, Miss Shay Dee serves all her dancing skills to the show by also promoting her Latina heritage into play. ⁠
⁠
Although her “Miss Shay Dee” persona may imply a sense of “shady”, she is kind, lovable, and always looking to shine a ray of light onto everyone’s day. ⁠
⁠
Miss Shay Dee is a strong supporter of diversity & inclusion, and she is in collaboration with many organizations such as So Fierce Foundation, BollyHeelsTO, The Stem Cell Club, The Concerned Kids +, Drag Academy, Fabulous Me, Jessica Garces Photography & The Haus of ShayDee. ⁠
⁠
Miss Shay Dee is also a recording artist and actress. Her music involves mixes of Pop, Hip-Hop, Latin and most recently Bollywood, where she worked with BollyHeelsTO and many Bollywood Drag Artists. As a BIPOC member, Shay Dee seeks to inspire youth by promoting culture & diversity. Being a Latin queen, she has always felt drawn to the world of Bollywood. Miss Shay Dee has a Bollywood bombshell side to her.

#BollywoodMonster Orchestra: Raags to Riddim

#BollywoodMonster Orchestra

The #BollywoodMonster Orchestra is a high-powered combination of traditional Bollywood melodies and Western rock instruments. BMO is as old as #BollywoodMonster Mashup itself, and over the years, it has featured a variety of instruments from numerous cultural backgrounds; from Indian Dhol, to Chinese Zither, to Cuban Congas. #BollywoodMonster Orchestra has brought musicians of all sorts together to perform epic, custom-made arrangements of hit Bollywood songs.
Shelisa Akbar

Shelisa Akbar is a giggling musician from Brampton that has been teaching piano, vocal, and music theory locally, around Brampton as well as Mississauga, for several years at multiple music academies. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree as well as a certificate of Introduction to Commercial Jazz from Humber College. Shelisa is currently working on completing a graduate certificate in music composition. Alongside these multiple commitments Shelisa is undertaking many more musical projects such as forming an EP which involves songwriting, charting, arranging, rehearsals, recording, and editing music. She is also involved in multiple live performance settings such as paid entertainment venues, charitable events, open mic nights, and music festivals throughout the GTA.
Darren Armoogam

Hey friends, Darren here! I’m excited to be a part of the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra & MAD program this year. I’ll be singing in some of the reggae songs and Bollywood mashups you’re going to hear, exclusively in English.

As for my background, I’m a full time member of the genre-fluid movement “Black Creek Reign” and the Caribbean stylings of “The Band Destiny”. I’ve taken up duties as a lead vocalist, primary songwriter, co-producer, and multi-instrumentalist in both projects. Black Creek Reign specifically is my pride and joy… I co-founded it after all! I didn’t get my start there though, I’ve been doing this for decades at this point, graduating from both the Ontario Academy of Music and York University’s Fine Arts with Honours program. Luckily enough, I’m also the on-call session musician for both MH Studios, and Cleveland Sound Lab. As well, I do a lot of rehearsing and recording in Mississauga and Brampton. I’m looking forward to showing off what I can do, and learn from everyone in the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra & the MAD cohort, can’t wait to see everyone there!
Pratik Peters

A multi-talented, passionate and versatile singer and music producer who can perform songs of different styles. Continuous practice is the motto of his success. His hard work and dedication has given him great opportunities to work with renowned Bollywood music artists like Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman, Sreeram Chndra, and Bhumi Trivedi.
Shirsha

Shirsha is joining a group of multi talented artists for 2021’s #BollywoodMonster Orchestra! Singing the Bollywood counterparts of this year’s #BollywoodMonster Orchestra segment, Shirsha is thrilled to take part in such a multicultural celebration of music. Shirsha is a rising artist from Brampton creating unique soundscapes with her influences from various Western and Eastern genres. She has worked with renowned Indian artists like Shankar Mahadevan and Ash King, and Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist Laura Sullivan. She has 2 singles out on all major streaming platforms and aspires to continue making contemporary alt-pop music with splashes of Jazz, RnB, Electronic and Indian influences, written about a variety of important and yet overlooked human emotions and experiences.
Dynesti

Dynesti dares you to experience yourself at your utmost potential. She does this through innovative and unapologetic music, entertainment, coaching sessions, and workshops. Dynesti is known as a fierce music artist and financial coach with a contagious energy that can transform any space she performs in. Nicknamed “The Dyna” for delivering energy like food for the soul, she invites you to sit at the table of the inevitable chaos in our lives through Royal Hip-Hop/Soul with a “dash” of Rudegyal (feminine Caribbean flair). Look out for her debut album entitled “The Dyna” which is being delivered in 5 parts: Say Grace, Breakfast, Lunch, The Last Supper, and Dessert. Say Grace is available now on all streaming platforms. Her music has been featured in major blogs such as All Hip-Hop and Earmilk.
Al Beeno

Corrie “Al Beeno” Moody also known as “Prince Yellowman” (and not to be confused with (Winston “King Yellowman” Foster) is a reggae dancehall deejay musician who was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He later moved to Canada and studied music and fashion in Brampton. His catchy lyrical styles (mixed with hip hop urban beats, also known as ragga) with fast beats earned him the nickname ‘Prince Yellowman’. He is albinistic, hence the nickname “Al Beeno.” By some he is considered as the next generation following popular Dancehall artist King Yellowman who became popular during the early 1980s throughout the 1990s. As a parallel to King Yellowman, Al Beeno managed to use his rare skin condition in order to gain fame.
Tim Stokes-Rees

Tim has been a drummer for 37 years playing with countless acts in a myriad of styles. He has also produced music for many artists and instructs individual lessons as well as group workshops and performances. Some highlights of his career include performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival, opening for Cindy Lauper at the Milwaukee Pride festival, twice performing on stage at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Awards Show and sharing the stage with the Grandmothers of Invention (formerly Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa) just to name a few. Over the past 4 years Tim has been focusing on raising his family and has scaled back his work to a few choice shows like playing with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra.
Olaf Szester

Olaf Szester is a percussionist/drummer and composer. He currently focuses his energies on freelancing, teaching and exploring a variety of diverse projects. Olaf has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with artists such as Tom Cochrane, Skydiggers, Great Big Sea, Hey Rosetta and AKON. Currently Olaf is the drummer for the high energy punk alternative band BROOMFILLER, who have released and toured several albums to date and a dark alternative pop band called Gelax. Furthermore, Olaf can be found on the self-titled album of the progressive rock band Duck Duck Goose.
Matt Haché

Matt’s introduction to music came at a very young age, learning piano and eventually guitar. He became nearly obsessed with music, sometimes practicing up to six hours per day in his teen years. That passion grew, even through his post secondary years where he studied music and audio production.
Matt has managed to expand his talents in his university years, playing many genres from Rock, Metal, and Punk music, to Musical Theatre, Jazz, and Motown/RnB. He has played for musicals such as Spring Awakening and Rent, opened for Canadian rockers, “Monster Truck,” and played on musical projects that have climbed high on the iTunes album charts.
Today, Matt continues to try and diversify his skillset as a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and performer. He is a member of The McCartney Years, one of North America’s biggest tributes to Paul McCartney, where he travels across North America. He is also a member of hard rock outfit Vilivant. Matt continues to follow his musical passion as a performer, writer, and recording engineer.
Eran Foster

Eran Foster is an electric and upright bassist currently studying at Western University. He performs a wide variety of genres, from punk to musical theatre, and is very excited to continue expanding that variety with #BollywoodMonster Orchestra.
Richard Uglow

I’ll be playing keys for the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra using a combination of some traditional acoustic Indian instruments like the Shanai along with modern synth sounds. In the past I’ve worked with lots of jazz and pop music. Some of the artists I’ve worked with are Nati Haile, Kaabi Kouyate, and The Funkin Art Souls. This year I’ll be concentrating on original jazz with my wife Jasmin Uglow as well as original folk with Jasmin where I’ll be playing guitar.
LoveSounD

My name is Aaron “LoveSounD” Seunarine, I am a drummer/percussionist, beat maker and music producer. I started playing music at the tender age of 3 and never looked back since.

At the age of 5, my parents enrolled me in the Humber College Community Music Program where I began my musical journey which led me to taking the Bachelor of Arts Program there, after high school. During and after my time at Humber I learned and played with countless musicians ranging from beginners to absolute pros/legends in the music industry. I later went on to study Audio Engineering and Production at Trebas Institute, where once again I got the chance to network with some amazing figures within the industry and met people that would later guide me to my next musical chapter in life.

Currently working and educating in Mississauga, I also play drums and percussion in several bands and have been part of over a dozen Steel Pan Competitions (Pan Alive) and Caribana Festivals playing both drums and steel pan. I’ve appeared on YTV’s Treehouse, CBC News, Breakfast Television and a few other shows, while still donating my time to at-risk communities and fundraisers of all sorts.

I recently got the chance to be a part of the 6ix Stix Bucket Drumming Group for the Toronto Raptors and now I get the chance to play steel pan with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra and hopefully get the chance to do so in the near future.
Mistahsoca

Bhisham Harripersad is a 19-year-old multi-talented musician. He plays a variety of instruments including, but not limited to, harmonium, tabla, steelpan, and sings as well. Of Trinidadian background, Bhisham Harripersad, stage name Mistahsoca, has always had both a passion for music and for bettering himself. Making his #BollywoodMonster Mashup debut, Bhisham will be performing with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra playing his steelpan. Bhisham was also the recipient of the 2019 NAAC Steel Pan Award. By the words of Mistahsoca himself, he is on a continuously educating journey, as there will always be more to learn, in both music, and life. He also thanks his parents for supporting his musical aspirations, and his family, friends, fans, and non-fans for their continuous support, criticism, and advice that all helps to fuel his journey.
#BollywoodMonster Orchestra

The #BollywoodMonster Orchestra is a high-powered combination of traditional Bollywood melodies and Western rock instruments. BMO is as old as #BollywoodMonster Mashup itself, and over the years, it has featured a variety of instruments from numerous cultural backgrounds; from Indian Dhol, to Chinese Zither, to Cuban Congas. #BollywoodMonster Orchestra has brought musicians of all sorts together to perform epic, custom-made arrangements of hit Bollywood songs.

#BollywoodMonster Orchestra

The #BollywoodMonster Orchestra is a high-powered combination of traditional Bollywood melodies and Western rock instruments. BMO is as old as #BollywoodMonster Mashup itself, and over the years, it has featured a variety of instruments from numerous cultural backgrounds; from Indian Dhol, to Chinese Zither, to Cuban Congas. #BollywoodMonster Orchestra has brought musicians of all sorts together to perform epic, custom-made arrangements of hit Bollywood songs.
Shelisa Akbar

Shelisa Akbar is a giggling musician from Brampton that has been teaching piano, vocal, and music theory locally, around Brampton as well as Mississauga, for several years at multiple music academies. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree as well as a certificate of Introduction to Commercial Jazz from Humber College. Shelisa is currently working on completing a graduate certificate in music composition. Alongside these multiple commitments Shelisa is undertaking many more musical projects such as forming an EP which involves songwriting, charting, arranging, rehearsals, recording, and editing music. She is also involved in multiple live performance settings such as paid entertainment venues, charitable events, open mic nights, and music festivals throughout the GTA.
Darren Armoogam

Hey friends, Darren here! I’m excited to be a part of the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra & MAD program this year. I’ll be singing in some of the reggae songs and Bollywood mashups you’re going to hear, exclusively in English.

As for my background, I’m a full time member of the genre-fluid movement “Black Creek Reign” and the Caribbean stylings of “The Band Destiny”. I’ve taken up duties as a lead vocalist, primary songwriter, co-producer, and multi-instrumentalist in both projects. Black Creek Reign specifically is my pride and joy… I co-founded it after all! I didn’t get my start there though, I’ve been doing this for decades at this point, graduating from both the Ontario Academy of Music and York University’s Fine Arts with Honours program. Luckily enough, I’m also the on-call session musician for both MH Studios, and Cleveland Sound Lab. As well, I do a lot of rehearsing and recording in Mississauga and Brampton. I’m looking forward to showing off what I can do, and learn from everyone in the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra & the MAD cohort, can’t wait to see everyone there!
Pratik Peters

A multi-talented, passionate and versatile singer and music producer who can perform songs of different styles. Continuous practice is the motto of his success. His hard work and dedication has given him great opportunities to work with renowned Bollywood music artists like Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman, Sreeram Chndra, and Bhumi Trivedi.
Shirsha

Shirsha is joining a group of multi talented artists for 2021’s #BollywoodMonster Orchestra! Singing the Bollywood counterparts of this year’s #BollywoodMonster Orchestra segment, Shirsha is thrilled to take part in such a multicultural celebration of music. Shirsha is a rising artist from Brampton creating unique soundscapes with her influences from various Western and Eastern genres. She has worked with renowned Indian artists like Shankar Mahadevan and Ash King, and Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist Laura Sullivan. She has 2 singles out on all major streaming platforms and aspires to continue making contemporary alt-pop music with splashes of Jazz, RnB, Electronic and Indian influences, written about a variety of important and yet overlooked human emotions and experiences.
Dynesti

Dynesti dares you to experience yourself at your utmost potential. She does this through innovative and unapologetic music, entertainment, coaching sessions, and workshops. Dynesti is known as a fierce music artist and financial coach with a contagious energy that can transform any space she performs in. Nicknamed “The Dyna” for delivering energy like food for the soul, she invites you to sit at the table of the inevitable chaos in our lives through Royal Hip-Hop/Soul with a “dash” of Rudegyal (feminine Caribbean flair). Look out for her debut album entitled “The Dyna” which is being delivered in 5 parts: Say Grace, Breakfast, Lunch, The Last Supper, and Dessert. Say Grace is available now on all streaming platforms. Her music has been featured in major blogs such as All Hip-Hop and Earmilk.
Al Beeno

Corrie “Al Beeno” Moody also known as “Prince Yellowman” (and not to be confused with (Winston “King Yellowman” Foster) is a reggae dancehall deejay musician who was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He later moved to Canada and studied music and fashion in Brampton. His catchy lyrical styles (mixed with hip hop urban beats, also known as ragga) with fast beats earned him the nickname ‘Prince Yellowman’. He is albinistic, hence the nickname “Al Beeno.” By some he is considered as the next generation following popular Dancehall artist King Yellowman who became popular during the early 1980s throughout the 1990s. As a parallel to King Yellowman, Al Beeno managed to use his rare skin condition in order to gain fame.
Tim Stokes-Rees

Tim has been a drummer for 37 years playing with countless acts in a myriad of styles. He has also produced music for many artists and instructs individual lessons as well as group workshops and performances. Some highlights of his career include performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival, opening for Cindy Lauper at the Milwaukee Pride festival, twice performing on stage at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Awards Show and sharing the stage with the Grandmothers of Invention (formerly Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa) just to name a few. Over the past 4 years Tim has been focusing on raising his family and has scaled back his work to a few choice shows like playing with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra.
Olaf Szester

Olaf Szester is a percussionist/drummer and composer. He currently focuses his energies on freelancing, teaching and exploring a variety of diverse projects. Olaf has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with artists such as Tom Cochrane, Skydiggers, Great Big Sea, Hey Rosetta and AKON. Currently Olaf is the drummer for the high energy punk alternative band BROOMFILLER, who have released and toured several albums to date and a dark alternative pop band called Gelax. Furthermore, Olaf can be found on the self-titled album of the progressive rock band Duck Duck Goose.
Matt Haché

Matt’s introduction to music came at a very young age, learning piano and eventually guitar. He became nearly obsessed with music, sometimes practicing up to six hours per day in his teen years. That passion grew, even through his post secondary years where he studied music and audio production.
Matt has managed to expand his talents in his university years, playing many genres from Rock, Metal, and Punk music, to Musical Theatre, Jazz, and Motown/RnB. He has played for musicals such as Spring Awakening and Rent, opened for Canadian rockers, “Monster Truck,” and played on musical projects that have climbed high on the iTunes album charts.
Today, Matt continues to try and diversify his skillset as a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and performer. He is a member of The McCartney Years, one of North America’s biggest tributes to Paul McCartney, where he travels across North America. He is also a member of hard rock outfit Vilivant. Matt continues to follow his musical passion as a performer, writer, and recording engineer.
Eran Foster

Eran Foster is an electric and upright bassist currently studying at Western University. He performs a wide variety of genres, from punk to musical theatre, and is very excited to continue expanding that variety with #BollywoodMonster Orchestra.
Richard Uglow

I’ll be playing keys for the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra using a combination of some traditional acoustic Indian instruments like the Shanai along with modern synth sounds. In the past I’ve worked with lots of jazz and pop music. Some of the artists I’ve worked with are Nati Haile, Kaabi Kouyate, and The Funkin Art Souls. This year I’ll be concentrating on original jazz with my wife Jasmin Uglow as well as original folk with Jasmin where I’ll be playing guitar.
LoveSounD

My name is Aaron “LoveSounD” Seunarine, I am a drummer/percussionist, beat maker and music producer. I started playing music at the tender age of 3 and never looked back since.

At the age of 5, my parents enrolled me in the Humber College Community Music Program where I began my musical journey which led me to taking the Bachelor of Arts Program there, after high school. During and after my time at Humber I learned and played with countless musicians ranging from beginners to absolute pros/legends in the music industry. I later went on to study Audio Engineering and Production at Trebas Institute, where once again I got the chance to network with some amazing figures within the industry and met people that would later guide me to my next musical chapter in life.

Currently working and educating in Mississauga, I also play drums and percussion in several bands and have been part of over a dozen Steel Pan Competitions (Pan Alive) and Caribana Festivals playing both drums and steel pan. I’ve appeared on YTV’s Treehouse, CBC News, Breakfast Television and a few other shows, while still donating my time to at-risk communities and fundraisers of all sorts.

I recently got the chance to be a part of the 6ix Stix Bucket Drumming Group for the Toronto Raptors and now I get the chance to play steel pan with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra and hopefully get the chance to do so in the near future.
Mistahsoca

Bhisham Harripersad is a 19-year-old multi-talented musician. He plays a variety of instruments including, but not limited to, harmonium, tabla, steelpan, and sings as well. Of Trinidadian background, Bhisham Harripersad, stage name Mistahsoca, has always had both a passion for music and for bettering himself. Making his #BollywoodMonster Mashup debut, Bhisham will be performing with the #BollywoodMonster Orchestra playing his steelpan. Bhisham was also the recipient of the 2019 NAAC Steel Pan Award. By the words of Mistahsoca himself, he is on a continuously educating journey, as there will always be more to learn, in both music, and life. He also thanks his parents for supporting his musical aspirations, and his family, friends, fans, and non-fans for their continuous support, criticism, and advice that all helps to fuel his journey.

Family Fun

Melissa Marie Dance

Artist

Mississauga’s Melissa Marie Dance will be teaching a Soca dance online workshop for kids of any age to follow along to. The workshop is fun, energetic and simple movements that any individual of any age will be able to follow along to. For this workshop, you will require a flag, rag, towel, or any other small cloth to use as a prop with the dance routine. Melissa Marie Dance specializes in Bollywood, Soca, Chutney and Hip Hop dance.
Devika Mathur

Artist

Devika Mathur has been a professional artist for more than 15 years. She has participated in four exhibitions in New Delhi. Last year she participated in two art fairs in Fredericton N.B. She now lives in Mississauga, Ontario. Devika has more than ten years of experience in teaching art in Fashion, Interior design and Architecture. She inherited fine arts skills from her mother & grandfather, both of whom were artists.
Akash Vukoti

AMA Guest

Akash Vukoti is an Indian American child prodigy and TV personality from San Angelo, Texas. Vukoti competed in his first spelling bee when he was 2 years old. He was inducted into American Mensa at the age of 3 and became a Davidson Young Scholar at the age of 5. Vukoti became the first-ever first grader to compete in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 6 years, in 2016. Vukoti later competed in the 2018 and 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bees. He won the 32nd San Angelo Area Spelling Bee again in 2021 and qualified for the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee. Vukoti was featured on several TV shows, such as Little Big Shots in Season 1 (2016), Season 2 (2017) and Little Big Shots UK (Episode 4) in 2017. He was also featured on the Steve Harvey talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Preachers in 2016, Harry show in 2017 and on the Kelly Clarkson Show on November 10, 2020. Akash competed as a Celebrity on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, a spin-off of Dancing with the Stars in the fall of 2018. He has been interviewed on all major TV networks, Electronic, Social and Print media in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia and India. Akash has done commercials for IBM, Amazon Kindle and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He has been featured in the HBO and BBC documentaries in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Vukoti has been featured in the 2020 Netflix Documentary Film Spelling the Dream, which was released in over 190 countries and garnered positive reviews.
Devin Ramoutar

Artist

Devin Ramoutar is a musical teacher who specializes in the intricacies of Indian, Latin, Western, and West Indian percussion. Known for his unique array of percussion instruments ready to spark life into any song, Devin is one of the most sought after percussionists in the GTA.
Khaula Mazhar

Artist

Khaula Mazhar is an award-winning, self-taught Mississauga artist. Her multifaceted work reflects her intrigue with situations, surroundings and our interactions with them. A strong believer that art is good for everyone, for both physical and mental health, she loves bringing art to the community and the community to art. Since starting her career in 2015, she has been involved in many interactive community art events as well as public art projects. She instructs paint sessions to get the community to pick up a paint brush and experience the benefits of a creative activity. She was hired by the City and the Art Gallery of Mississauga in 2017 to bring an interactive mural painting activity to the community and did a similar event at the Waterfront Festival in 2018. Her public art can be seen around Mississauga and in 2019 she was awarded a grant to paint a large-scale mural celebrating Mississauga’s Bee City Status. Her public work covers many themes based around the local community including diversity, conservation and heritage sites. She enjoys creating stories for the community, about the community, to foster pride and spark conversations through her public art.
Amara Ramdhanny

AMA Guest

Amara Davina Ramdhanny (she/her/they/them) is an Afro-St. Lucian and Indo-Grenadian (Black/Indian of Caribbean descent) Brooklyn-based creative, whose art focuses on/is inspired by bright colors and strong women, specifically women of color. Amara will be featured in an “Ask Me Anything”, answering questions and discussing her art and how it is influenced by her culture.
Nimra Bandukwala

Artist

Nimra is a Pakistani artist, community facilitator based, and Masters student in Occupational Therapy based in Mississauga and the UK. She co-leads Reth Aur Reghistan, a multidisciplinary project that explores Pakistani folklore through art. She has led arts-based programs for children and adults with disabilities in school and community settings.
Alan Faigal

Artist

Alan is a Community Outreach Animator for Culture Shock Canada, in that role he has designed and implemented community dance programs for ages 2.5 to 18 and older adults all across Southern Ontario. He performed as a Bollywood Dancer with Lopa Sarkar and Divine Heritage Artistry. Alan has been a movement specialist in the fitness/wellness industry for over 20 years.
Shweta Subram

AMA Guest

Shweta Subram is an eclectic Bollywood playback singer and independent artist from Canada. She is the female voice behind recently trending Jalebi Baby. Her Bollywood debut was with Ayushmann Khurrana through the title song Dil-e-Nadaan in the movie Hawaizaada and her Kollywood debut was in the movie Maayavan for music director Ghibran. Shweta’s musical career started with a performance at IIFA Awards with Bollywood music directors Salim-Sulaiman. Following this, she has released many originals as well as covers and has collaborated with various artists around the world. Her collaboration with The Piano Guys has crossed 22 million views.

Shweta is the youngest vocalist of Indian origin to have performed at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York, and was honoured as South Asian of the Year 2015 by Zee TV Canada. Now based in Dubai, Shweta has headlined concerts across 75 cities in 12 countries.
Ria Aikat

Artist

Ria is a passionate dancer and educator who has dedicated her life to fusing teaching and dance. She is the Co-founder of Dance ’N’ Culture – an organization that provides cultural dance programming for schools across the GTA. Ria has over 20 years of dance training in styles including Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, Bhangra, Hip Hop and House, and 10 years in arts education. She has taught thousands of students of all ages across Ontario and is known for her high energy and accessible teaching style. She is also a part-time faculty member at Centennial College, City Dance Corps, and the Pink Studio.
Raj Girn

AMA Guest

RAJ GIRN is a well-respected, multi-award winning media and events entrepreneur, brand strategist, marketing consultant, confidence coach, #1 best-selling author, entertainment personality, activist and philanthropist. For 2 decades, she has been widely recognized as an expert in niche branding, media, marketing, public relations, and event strategy.

She has worked with a vast array of globally recognized brands (P&G, L’Oréal Paris, Diageo, GoDaddy, Huawei, and many more) and celebrities (Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, Dita Von Teese, Kim Kardashian, Rohan Oza, Robin Sharma, and many more), where her vast portfolio has been in the niche space.
Melissa Marie Dance

Artist

Mississauga’s Melissa Marie Dance will be teaching a Soca dance online workshop for kids of any age to follow along to. The workshop is fun, energetic and simple movements that any individual of any age will be able to follow along to. For this workshop, you will require a flag, rag, towel, or any other small cloth to use as a prop with the dance routine. Melissa Marie Dance specializes in Bollywood, Soca, Chutney and Hip Hop dance.
Devika Mathur

Artist

Devika Mathur has been a professional artist for more than 15 years. She has participated in four exhibitions in New Delhi. Last year she participated in two art fairs in Fredericton N.B. She now lives in Mississauga, Ontario. Devika has more than ten years of experience in teaching art in Fashion, Interior design and Architecture. She inherited fine arts skills from her mother & grandfather, both of whom were artists.
Akash Vukoti

AMA Guest

Akash Vukoti is an Indian American child prodigy and TV personality from San Angelo, Texas. Vukoti competed in his first spelling bee when he was 2 years old. He was inducted into American Mensa at the age of 3 and became a Davidson Young Scholar at the age of 5. Vukoti became the first-ever first grader to compete in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 6 years, in 2016. Vukoti later competed in the 2018 and 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bees. He won the 32nd San Angelo Area Spelling Bee again in 2021 and qualified for the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee. Vukoti was featured on several TV shows, such as Little Big Shots in Season 1 (2016), Season 2 (2017) and Little Big Shots UK (Episode 4) in 2017. He was also featured on the Steve Harvey talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Preachers in 2016, Harry show in 2017 and on the Kelly Clarkson Show on November 10, 2020. Akash competed as a Celebrity on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, a spin-off of Dancing with the Stars in the fall of 2018. He has been interviewed on all major TV networks, Electronic, Social and Print media in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia and India. Akash has done commercials for IBM, Amazon Kindle and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He has been featured in the HBO and BBC documentaries in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Vukoti has been featured in the 2020 Netflix Documentary Film Spelling the Dream, which was released in over 190 countries and garnered positive reviews.
Devin Ramoutar

Artist

Devin Ramoutar is a musical teacher who specializes in the intricacies of Indian, Latin, Western, and West Indian percussion. Known for his unique array of percussion instruments ready to spark life into any song, Devin is one of the most sought after percussionists in the GTA.

Melissa Marie Dance

Artist

Mississauga’s Melissa Marie Dance will be teaching a Soca dance online workshop for kids of any age to follow along to. The workshop is fun, energetic and simple movements that any individual of any age will be able to follow along to. For this workshop, you will require a flag, rag, towel, or any other small cloth to use as a prop with the dance routine. Melissa Marie Dance specializes in Bollywood, Soca, Chutney and Hip Hop dance.
Devika Mathur

Artist

Devika Mathur has been a professional artist for more than 15 years. She has participated in four exhibitions in New Delhi. Last year she participated in two art fairs in Fredericton N.B. She now lives in Mississauga, Ontario. Devika has more than ten years of experience in teaching art in Fashion, Interior design and Architecture. She inherited fine arts skills from her mother & grandfather, both of whom were artists.
Akash Vukoti

AMA Guest

Akash Vukoti is an Indian American child prodigy and TV personality from San Angelo, Texas. Vukoti competed in his first spelling bee when he was 2 years old. He was inducted into American Mensa at the age of 3 and became a Davidson Young Scholar at the age of 5. Vukoti became the first-ever first grader to compete in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 6 years, in 2016. Vukoti later competed in the 2018 and 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bees. He won the 32nd San Angelo Area Spelling Bee again in 2021 and qualified for the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee. Vukoti was featured on several TV shows, such as Little Big Shots in Season 1 (2016), Season 2 (2017) and Little Big Shots UK (Episode 4) in 2017. He was also featured on the Steve Harvey talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Preachers in 2016, Harry show in 2017 and on the Kelly Clarkson Show on November 10, 2020. Akash competed as a Celebrity on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, a spin-off of Dancing with the Stars in the fall of 2018. He has been interviewed on all major TV networks, Electronic, Social and Print media in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia and India. Akash has done commercials for IBM, Amazon Kindle and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He has been featured in the HBO and BBC documentaries in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Vukoti has been featured in the 2020 Netflix Documentary Film Spelling the Dream, which was released in over 190 countries and garnered positive reviews.
Devin Ramoutar

Artist

Devin Ramoutar is a musical teacher who specializes in the intricacies of Indian, Latin, Western, and West Indian percussion. Known for his unique array of percussion instruments ready to spark life into any song, Devin is one of the most sought after percussionists in the GTA.
Khaula Mazhar

Artist

Khaula Mazhar is an award-winning, self-taught Mississauga artist. Her multifaceted work reflects her intrigue with situations, surroundings and our interactions with them. A strong believer that art is good for everyone, for both physical and mental health, she loves bringing art to the community and the community to art. Since starting her career in 2015, she has been involved in many interactive community art events as well as public art projects. She instructs paint sessions to get the community to pick up a paint brush and experience the benefits of a creative activity. She was hired by the City and the Art Gallery of Mississauga in 2017 to bring an interactive mural painting activity to the community and did a similar event at the Waterfront Festival in 2018. Her public art can be seen around Mississauga and in 2019 she was awarded a grant to paint a large-scale mural celebrating Mississauga’s Bee City Status. Her public work covers many themes based around the local community including diversity, conservation and heritage sites. She enjoys creating stories for the community, about the community, to foster pride and spark conversations through her public art.
Amara Ramdhanny

AMA Guest

Amara Davina Ramdhanny (she/her/they/them) is an Afro-St. Lucian and Indo-Grenadian (Black/Indian of Caribbean descent) Brooklyn-based creative, whose art focuses on/is inspired by bright colors and strong women, specifically women of color. Amara will be featured in an “Ask Me Anything”, answering questions and discussing her art and how it is influenced by her culture.
Nimra Bandukwala

Artist

Nimra is a Pakistani artist, community facilitator based, and Masters student in Occupational Therapy based in Mississauga and the UK. She co-leads Reth Aur Reghistan, a multidisciplinary project that explores Pakistani folklore through art. She has led arts-based programs for children and adults with disabilities in school and community settings.
Alan Faigal

Artist

Alan is a Community Outreach Animator for Culture Shock Canada, in that role he has designed and implemented community dance programs for ages 2.5 to 18 and older adults all across Southern Ontario. He performed as a Bollywood Dancer with Lopa Sarkar and Divine Heritage Artistry. Alan has been a movement specialist in the fitness/wellness industry for over 20 years.
Shweta Subram

AMA Guest

Shweta Subram is an eclectic Bollywood playback singer and independent artist from Canada. She is the female voice behind recently trending Jalebi Baby. Her Bollywood debut was with Ayushmann Khurrana through the title song Dil-e-Nadaan in the movie Hawaizaada and her Kollywood debut was in the movie Maayavan for music director Ghibran. Shweta’s musical career started with a performance at IIFA Awards with Bollywood music directors Salim-Sulaiman. Following this, she has released many originals as well as covers and has collaborated with various artists around the world. Her collaboration with The Piano Guys has crossed 22 million views.

Shweta is the youngest vocalist of Indian origin to have performed at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York, and was honoured as South Asian of the Year 2015 by Zee TV Canada. Now based in Dubai, Shweta has headlined concerts across 75 cities in 12 countries.
Ria Aikat

Artist

Ria is a passionate dancer and educator who has dedicated her life to fusing teaching and dance. She is the Co-founder of Dance ’N’ Culture – an organization that provides cultural dance programming for schools across the GTA. Ria has over 20 years of dance training in styles including Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, Bhangra, Hip Hop and House, and 10 years in arts education. She has taught thousands of students of all ages across Ontario and is known for her high energy and accessible teaching style. She is also a part-time faculty member at Centennial College, City Dance Corps, and the Pink Studio.
Raj Girn

AMA Guest

RAJ GIRN is a well-respected, multi-award winning media and events entrepreneur, brand strategist, marketing consultant, confidence coach, #1 best-selling author, entertainment personality, activist and philanthropist. For 2 decades, she has been widely recognized as an expert in niche branding, media, marketing, public relations, and event strategy.

She has worked with a vast array of globally recognized brands (P&G, L’Oréal Paris, Diageo, GoDaddy, Huawei, and many more) and celebrities (Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, Dita Von Teese, Kim Kardashian, Rohan Oza, Robin Sharma, and many more), where her vast portfolio has been in the niche space.

Hosts

Amin Dhillon

Amin Dhillon is a Canadian on-air host, producer, podcaster, and emcee. Amin has spent a decade covering national news and events for Canada’s Indo-Canadian community. She is also one of Canada’s leading emcees for various cultural and community events. In 2019, Dhillon launched her own podcast and digital series “In Conversation with Amin Dhillon”. With a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion, the podcast has featured politicians, newsmakers, artists, and entrepreneurs with inspirational stories of success and achievement.

Patricia Jaggernauth

With a career of more than 15 years as a professional television host & media heavy weight, Patricia Jaggernauth is an Emmy Award winning & Canadian award winning personality who is celebrated across North America as an exuberant storyteller of live television seen on CP24, Toronto’s Breaking News, working with Toronto #1 news team and #1 morning show across Canada, on CP24 Breakfast as a beloved co-host, LIVE EYE/remote host, weather specialist & special presentation host (lead host of the star studded Caribbean Carnival for 9 Years, St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Pride Parade) broadcasting to millions across the region.

Amish Patel

Amish Patel is a Canadian Screen Award Winner and Two Time Emmy Nomination Applicant. His life began as a classic fish out of two waters tale. From a young age, he gained perspectives on both Indian and Canadian cultures and learned to deal with discrimination and xenophobia through humour. Amish loved comedy from day one but he still obtained an Aerospace Engineering degree. After literally becoming a rocket scientist, Amish recently booked a leading role on a kids’ comedy show with the Emmy-Award winning Sinking Ship. He has also appeared on Saving Hope, Man Seeking Woman, and Odd Squad. Additionally, as a stand up he has opened for Saturday Night Live alumni Tim Meadows, and Iliza Schlesinger.

Dilshad Burman

Dilshad Burman is an award-winning Canadian media personality & journalist. She moved to Canada from Mumbai, India as a student and has steadily established herself as a media professional. From shooting, producing, writing and editing to on-camera reporting and hosting, she’s done it all over her decade-long career. You can now find her on CityNews and 680 NEWS as a multi-media content creator and reporter.

Dilshad calls herself a born performer and found her love for the performing arts as a young child. But as she studied television broadcasting and began working in a newsroom, she discovered her love for news – it’s immediacy, it’s excitement and most importantly, it’s service to the public.

She says being part of an essential service and providing people with critical information to make important decisions feels purposeful and worthwhile. It also drives her to cover unconventional stories that may not always make mainstream headlines. Dilshad is also proud to be one of the many diverse faces in Canadian media who are changing the landscape and pivoting it towards inclusivity and acceptance.

PAST ARTISTS

2020 Artists ▼

Headliners

Sunny Leone

Sunny Leone forayed into the Indian television industry with “Big Boss” and went on to rule the small screen with “Splitsvilla”. Having worked in an array of Bollywood films like Ragini MMS 2 and Raees, Leone has won the hearts of millions. The actress who donned many hats right from being a movie star, a mother to being an entrepreneur has successfully launched her brands and made them a success story. The baby doll of Bollywood to a doting mother of 3, Sunny Leone has conquered and left a mark on every field that she ventured into. With various features and web films in the pipeline, the actress here is to rule.

The Meet Bros

Featuring Khushboo Grewal

The Meet Bros made their unique mark in the Indian Music Industry as one voice catapulting to great fame and are leaving an unmatched legacy in music. They are only a few among others who have revolutionized the music scenes in almost two decades. They have a penchant for mesmerizing their audiences with their musical virtuosity and have given foot tapping music hits like Baby Doll, Chittiyan Kalliyan, Heeriye to name just a few. Although the Indian Music Industry boasts of many successful music directors, Meet Bros have proven that they are poles apart in creating party anthems and enthralling all their listeners. Their aficionado for music is paving the path for establishing themselves as pioneers in showcasing new talents and building a music empire that hasn’t been seen in India yet. As performers on stage, for international and national events, they are a name to be reckoned with due to the energy and vibe they present.

Arjuna Harjai

Arjuna Harjai is a critically acclaimed composer and singer based in Mumbai, India. He has done some notable work in the industry with renowned directors and producers like Nikhil Advani, Ekta Kapoor, Sriram Raghavan, Sanjay Routary, Vasan Bala, Amit Sharma and more. He is also one of the most popular advertising composers in India. He has collaborated with over 80 brands and created extremely successful campaigns and musical identities for A-list companies.

Artists

#BollywoodMonster Orchestra

The #BollywoodMonster Orchestra is a high-powered combination of traditional Bollywood melodies and Western rock instruments. BMO is as old as #BollywoodMonster Mashup itself, and over the years, it has featured a variety of instruments from numerous cultural backgrounds; from Indian Dhol, to Chinese Zither, to Cuban Congas. #BollywoodMonster Orchestra has brought musicians of all sorts together to perform epic, custom-made arrangements of hit Bollywood songs.