it's baaack ;-)
We at ANOKHI are proud supporters of this fabulous festival!
WHAT! North America’s largest FREE South Asian festival hits the mark Experience the best in South Asian music, art, dance, & fare with 100,000 attendees each year, the festival aims to introduce a cultural explosion to the mainstream and celebrate the many talented South Asian, or South Asia inspired, artists that exist globally.
WHEN! This multigenerational presentation fuses traditional and contemporary artistic expression through music, dance, film, theatre, literature and poetry, natural health practices, social issues, cuisine, arts & crafts and much more! The festival is free admission and open to the public from July 23-25, 2010 at The Exhibition Place, Toronto.
WHY? Because its free and fabulous! Masala! Mehndi! Masti! (which means Spice! Henna! Fun!) fires up Toronto’s Exhibition Place for a jam-packed weekend of lively entertainment, vibrant colours, savory dishes, majestic art, and star-studded performances! Celebrating its most important milestone to date, M!M!M! will recognize 10 years of growth, in addition to the evolution of the South Asian community and its influence on Canada’s cultural mosaic.
In 2001, the founders began Masala! Mehndi! Masti! as a dream, envisioning a massive festival encouraging people of all backgrounds celebrating South Asian culture, “We had to create an event that would span generations: all ages, all ethnicities -- one that all Canadians could enjoy,” says Jyoti Rana, one of the founding team members. “With ten years behind us we’ve learnt so much and seen the festival grow exponentially. Today, South Asians are Canada's #1 growing populace making this festival that much more relevant to this country.” In 2010, the dream has become a reality attracting a million attendees, 700+ performances by 5000+ artists, and 300+ local vendors since its inception.
Over the past decade, M!M!M! has shone a spotlight on some of the biggest South Asian and South Asian-inspired talents from around the world including:
WHO! Lisa Ray: actor and model from Cooking With Stella, Bollywood/Hollywood as well as the Oscar-nominated film, Water
• Nandita Das: a well known social activist and actor/producer extraordinaire of off-beat artistic Indian films
• Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz: major force in the "Asian Massive" movement, a club-based phenomenon reaching several continents
• Shiamak Davar: the colossus of choreography in India with several dance schools globally including in Canada.
• Deepa Mehta: world renowned director of many films including Heaven On Earth, Water, Bollywood/Hollywood
• Rishi Rich Project featuring Jay Sean: they pioneered the Bhangra-R&B fusion and Jay Sean went on to become a globally recognized singer with his hit single ‘Down’ hitting top spot in various international music charts
• Rahul Bose: well known social activist and actor/producer arthouse films.
AND MORE! This year M!M!M! is excited to announce an exciting lineup including: Actor Boman Irani who originally gained recognition for his role in Munnabhai MBBS and most recently the Filmfare and Star Screen Awards for his role in the super-hit Bollywood movie 3 Idiots.
Suzanne D’Mello, former host of Zee TV’s popular music talent show, Sa Re Ga Ma and has also collaborated with virtuoso composer, AR Rahman; Indian Classical musicians Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan.
Salman Ahmed of South Asia's biggest sufi-rock band Junoon the Toronto Tabla Ensemble who headlined the very first M!M!M! Festival.
BONUS! ...and don't forget to check out their premiere of M!M!M!’s first Senior Desi Idol!
So grab your family, friends and take in some fabulous South Asian vibes at Masala! Mehndi! Masti!
For more information visit www.masalamehndimasti.com.