Bollywood Monster Mashup – the largest South Asian Festival @ CelebrationSquare, Mississauga
Mississauga, ON (July 9, 2017): Canadian Mohawk talent, Shawnee Talbot, is bringing her powerful, bluesy vocals to the stage at Bollywood Monster Mashup this July as part of the festival’s Monster Monde programming.
As a gifted singer-songwriter, Shawnee’s single “Mirror Me” was born during her early years as a musician and became an anthem of self-identity. The experienced singer began performing across Canada and the USA where she shared the song with Lady GaGa in NYC. Shawnee’s music has been featured on some of television’s top networks including APTN, Global, Disney TV, CTV and radio stations around the world including CBC, Spotify, SiriusXM, FM radio and more. Exclaim Magazine has named the artist an “undeniable talent with unique charm.” Her latest single, “Warrior Heart,” has been described as a “pulls-no-punches hit that demands attention” by Canadian Beats. All proceeds from the single go towards We Matter, a campaign whose mission is to support Indigenous youth struggling with mental health.
Shawnee Talbot joins previously announced Bollywood stars Jonita Gandhi, Aakanksha Sharma, and Kamal Khan to the Bollywood Monster Mashup lineup.
Mumbai-based singer, Jonita Gandhi is coming home to take Mississauga Celebration Square by storm on July 22 as part of the festival’s free concert. Her recent hit “The Breakup Song” from IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Award) nominated film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is the hit song of the summer with over 200 million views on YouTube, and her single “Gilehriyaan” from the film Dangal recently won a 2017 Mirchi Music Award. Keep your eyes peeled for her performance at IIFA 2017 July 15 before she hits the stage at #BollywoodMonster Mashup!
Aakanksha Sharma, the stunning voice of Sunny Leone in “Main Adhoora” is hitting the main stage at Mississauga Celebration Square July 22 as part of the festival’s free programming. Nominated twice at the 2017 Mirchi Music Awards for Upcoming Female Vocalist of the Year for her songs “Tu Alvida” from the film Traffic and “Dhal Jaun Main” from the film Rustom, Aakanksha Sharma is bringing her international star power to Canada in an exclusive #BollywoodMonster debut and is so excited to be coming here for the festival.
#BollywoodMonster Mashup’s Friday night closer, multi-award winning Bollywood star Kamal Khan will be performing his hit song “Ishq Sufiyana” from the film The Dirty Picture, which earned him a Zee Cine Award for Fresh New Singing Talent, Male Vocalist of the Year at the Mirchi Music Awards and Best Music Debut at the Global Indian Music Awards. His knowledge of what it takes to be a singing superstar earned him a celebrity judge position on Voice of Punjab.
Kollywood’s emerging star, Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam is bringing her captivating vocals to Celebration Square, backed by musicians from Spice Jam Music. The Canadian-based, Sri Lankan singer got her big break in the Tamil music industry as the voice behind Hansika Motwani in Bogan’s “Senthoora.” An instant hit featuring the singer’s rich vocals, the video for the song has earned over 12 million views on YouTube.
Born in 2011, Bollywood Monster 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 the award-winning Monster Rock Orchestra, a combo of hit songs + orchestra + lasers for a face-melting show. In the spirit of giving back to the community, MonstrARTity runs the Monster Arts 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 Monster Artist Development program to help develop the professional and artistic careers of 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 sits on the Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the City of Mississauga, Polyphonic Ground, and Mississauga Partners in Music. He 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. Kohli now lives in Mississauga, Canada.
Click here to view the PHOTO ALBUM (Previous year)
Report by: Jaison Mathew (CMN News)
