Butter Chicken Brass Band
South Asian Baraat Band meets Jazz, Funk, and styles inspired by New Orleans
Chicago-based band Butter Chicken is a collaborative effort by musicians across several disciplines to explore the intersection of South Asian baraat (the processional part of a Hindu wedding) and a New Orleans-style brass polyphony. Covering a range of sounds from Bollywood to Punjabi rap as well as original compositions, Butter Chicken explores the decolonization of British brass band instruments left behind during the 1948 partition and how these instruments can be used to explore modern sounds. The resulting sound and concert experience combines the community, joy and movement of a wedding ceremony with the power and improvisation of a jazz group. Led by Catie Hickey (trombone, arranger), Kabir Dalawari (Dhol), and Akshat Jain (Sousaphone), the group features a rotating cast of musicians from the Chicago area, including Kyle Brooks (saxophones), Millie Ahern (trumpet) and Steve Bomar (drums).