TOIFA Day 1: Musical Extravaganza

Dec 19 2017, 3:20 pm

TOIFA 2013 kicked off with the Musical Extravaganza at the PNE Coliseum on Thursday night. Crowds braves the cold and rain to make their way into this evening of music, dance, pyrotechnics and Bollywood flair.

If there is one word to define Bollywood, it is music; the soundtrack of a movie is often as important as the movie itself. The beats, the sounds and the catchy hooks make everyone get up on their feet and dance. The TOIFA Music Extravaganza, was packed with performers of Bollywood songs, ranging from classical to club anthems, from yester-year to now.

The show began with a local favourite and resident of North Vancouver, Shiamak Davar, choreographer and friend to all the stars. He graced the stage with his mix of modern and contemporary dance, his Shiamak style has changed the way Bollywood presents dance on-screen. His dance troupe showcased colours, cool moves and a hype way to begin the night. Shiamak also took the mic and got the crowd pumped as he made his way around the arena singing some of today`s biggest club hits.

Next to hit the stage was the girl who has won every best new singer award this season, and is nominated for the same category at TOIFA. Shalmali Kholgade’s began the night with her hit nominated song, ‘Pareshaan’ from the 2012 movie Ishaqzaade. Followed up by Indian party anthems ‘Daaru Desi’ from Cocktail and ‘Lat Lag Gayee’ from Race 2. Kholgade’s performance set the stage on fire, literally!

Following this burst of energy, Kavita Seth switched gears with her emotion filled performance that brought many to tears. Last year Seth had a massive hit in the Cocktail soundtrack called ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’, a club and wedding hit that is also nominated at TOIFA this year. Her melodious voice spans from ballads to upbeat songs and her music had the crowd singing along from the first note. Seth brought a great stage presence to the show, dancing with the crowd and working the stage.

Hard Kaur, aka the Queen of desi beats, mixed Bhangra and hip-hop to create some of India’s most popular dance tracks. Her unique style brought a party to the stage as she sang hits, ‘Ek Glassy’ (One Glass) and ‘Sadda Dil Vi Tu’ (You Are My Heart). Later in the evening, Hard Kaur and Shalmali Kholgade united to sing hits from the movie Patiala House and even a rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel.’

The second half of the evening highlighted the ballads and fan favourites of Mohit Chauhan. His melodious voice had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Chauhan is also the playback singer of choice for this year’s TOIFA host, Ranbir Kapoor.

In closing the award winning Sunidhi Chauhan kept the crowd on their feet with songs like ‘Desi Girl’, ‘Halkat Jawani’ and ‘Ainvayi Ainvayi’. She’s gone from being discovered at the age of four to being one of the most versatile playback singers in Bollywood. Her hit-list is endless, and her voice is timeless. Sunidhi Chauhan was definitely a highlight of the evening

The TOIFA Music Extravaganza featured a spectacular line-up did not disappoint. It was the perfect way to kick off TOIFA weekend.

Limited tickets are still available for the final TOIFA Awards show on April 6, 2013. If you haven’t already bought your tickets, they are going fast, so make sure you don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see these Bollywood on stage in Vancouver. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.ca

Written by Vineeta Minhas (@vinminhas), a contributor for Vancity Buzz and Desi Ink Magazine. Connect with Desi Ink @desiinkmag and on Facebook.

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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