The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s annual One World Cultural Festival will take place Saturday, March 2, in the Frame-Westerberg Commons.
The public is warmly invited to attend the annual festival, which will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. The night will be a celebration of world cultures, many of which are represented by Pitt-Bradford students, who come from 22 different countries.
The featured performer will be Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams, which is made up of brothers Ravi, Aneal and Naryan Padmanabha. From an early age, the brothers started playing Western instruments like the drum set, bass and guitar. Together, they experimented with various genres from folk to punk rock.
As teenagers, they traveled to India and picked up styles of Classical Indian music. Since then, they have been experimenting with different musical fusions and blends.
Their performances combine elements of classical Indian music with jazz, funk, electronic and jam to create a psychedelic musical landscape. Some may remember the group from a Noon Tunes performance at Pitt-Bradford in 2016.
During the first part of the evening guests will be able to sample food from all over the world while engaging in various student-led cultural activities, including origami folding, bracelet making, and basket weaving. Foods will include international desserts and drinks and cuisine from the Middle East, Africa, Korea and Argentina.
Entertainment will begin with a parade of nations at 5:30 p.m. There will also be dance troupes performing throughout, including the Queen B’s, The Allegheny Mountain Cloggers, and Pitt-Bradford’s own Diamond Steppers. The night will end with an eclectic musical performance by Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams.
The festival is for all ages. Admission is free of charge; donations are accepted and will go toward next year’s festival.
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