IUB and Lotus present free world music concert

On Thursday, September 26, Indiana University Bloomington and its School of Global and International Studies team up with Lotus to start the Lotus Festival weekend with a big, free, world music party, featuring Funkadesi from Chicago, Montreal’s Nomadic Massive, and Bloomington’s own Pan-Basso.

Funkadesi has been firing up Lotus crowds since 2001, and this year marks its seventh Lotus appearance. Chicago’s multiethnic musical scene shapes the band’s sound, which dips into reggae, Afro-Caribbean, Indian music (including Bhangra, Bollywood, and folk), and funk.

Nomadic Massive makes its Lotus debut, bringing multilingual, multicultural hip-hop to Alumni Hall. This collective of independent artists describes itself as a band of “musical nomads”; they rap in English, French, Creole, Spanish, and Arabic.

Pan-Basso is IU’s own alumni quartet of steelpans, percussion and electric bass, playing the Caribbean sounds of traditional calypso, jazz, and popular soca from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

What? Lotus Campus Kickoff When? September 26, 8 p.m. Where? Alumni Hall, Indiana Memorial Union

Admission is FREE - Capacity is 800; arrive early to claim your spot!

Also, don't miss a free, public, and very special workshop from Sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan on Wednesday, September 25 at 5:30 p.m. in Auer Hall. Hailed as one of the greatest contemporary masters of the Sarod, Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons will offer attendees an interactive and up-close experience with Indian classical music. This is a unique opportunity to be in an intimate and interactive setting with one of the masters of Indian classical music.