Award Winning South Asian Festival celebrates its 6th year

Digital festival to feature Bollywood, Punjabi and Multicultural performances, Online Talent Hunt, and a Classical Music Showcase
Brampton, ON (July 20, 2021): The Arts and Culture Initiative of South Asia (ACISA) will be presenting one of the largest South Asian festivals in Canada – VIBRANT BRAMPTON – that will showcase the culture and diversity of Ontario from July 23 to 25, 2021.
As in the past, the 2021 digital festival will present international and local artists from across the globe. It will be streamed live over festival Facebook page @Vibrantbrampton
“This year's festival will showcase over 250 local and international artists from Canada, USA, UK, Pakistan and India with over 50 acts over the course of the three components of the festival,” says Arpan Banerjee, ACISA co-founder.

Among the headliners is Bollywood playback singer Monali Thakur, winner of the famed Filmfare award for her song "Sawaar Loon", who then also received the prestigious National Film Awards for her song " Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" from the film "Dum Laga Ke Haisha". With over 140 numbers to her credit, mainly in Hindi and Bengali, Thakur has also been one of the judges for the famous singing talent show, SA RE GA MA PA L'il Champs
Besides leading South Asian artists, the festival roster includes several non-South Asian acts including performances by Canadian Indigenous artists, Afro-Canadian artists, Salsa, Flamenco, Reggaeton, Pop, Jazz and Instrumental Fusion expositions. One of the newest additions this year will be a Hip Hop- Breaker-Popping Jamming session by leading local artists.
“As Plato has stated, music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life,” reiterates Ricky Bajaj, Festival co-founder. “Our festival brings an array of arts and culture that have the power to enrich the spirit and connect humanity,” says Bajaj.
The 2021 digital festival curtain raiser began with the 2nd annual edition of VSTAR, an online talent hunt of local emerging artists that began on June 21 and will conclude on July 20. The top three contestants will get the opportunity to perform at the Vibrant Brampton in-ground festival in 2022.
“Over 100 entries were received for VSTAR 2021 and top 46 were selected for the first round, coming down to top 6 finalists who will be performing on July 25,” adds Ricky Bajaj. “Last year’s finalists of VSTAR will be performing at this year's VIBRANT BRAMPTON Festival, streamed live over 3 days from 6 pm onwards on July 23, 24 and July 25.
Like last year, this year’s festival will end in a somber note with a classical music and dance component, VIBRANT CLASSICAL, which stemmed out of the need and demand for a platform for local Classical Music & Dance artistes to showcase their art forms in GTA. This part of the festival will be streamed live on August 7 and 8.
The festival is sponsored by TD Bank and supported by Lazeez Shawarma and Downtown Brampton BIA along with the generous support of the City of Brampton, Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts.
"At TD, we know that music connects communities and allows us to find common ground, discover new perspectives, and work towards a more inclusive future," said Anna Iacobelli, Senior Vice President, Branch Banking, TD Bank Group. "That's why, we are so proud to celebrate Canadian music and to support Vibrant Brampton in helping amplify diverse voices in arts and culture and support artists that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."