Indian DJ dance night aims to break music barriers in the Sault

A first of its kind dance night is coming to the Sault.

Local events promoter and Indian Palate co-owner Jeevan Mani is inviting the public to enjoy the atmosphere and music of a modern Indian nightclub at RAD Night – the city’s first-ever Indian DJ night.

Hosting this Friday at the Marconi Cultural Event Centre, Mani sensed there was a growing demand for an event like this in the Sault.

“Most of the Indian population, including international students, do not have a specific place to go for Indian music nights, and everyone needs entertainment,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in the Indian community here, and I hope more families continue to settle down in the Sault.”

Mani says most of the music will include EDM, Malayalam, Tamil, and Bollywood songs.

The lights, music, and DJ will be provided by ARPO Studios, a Toronto-based event management company that Mani helped run before moving up to the Sault in 2019.

Originally from South India, Mani wants to use the experience he gained from ARPO Studios to provide his culture with music and songs from across India.

“We started ARPO Studios because the music we had down there was prominently based on Western music, EDM, or all from North India,” he says. “South Indian music was not so popular, so that’s when we decided we needed something like that where we could have parties where the music is familiar to us.”

Mani says it can be hard for South Indians living in the Sault to get out of their comfort zone since they’re not as accustomed to club-style music compared to residents living in other parts of the country.

He hopes to change that with RAD Night.

“For us, especially from South India, we don’t have that much of a club scene in that part of the country,” he says. “There’s a huge club scene in and around the north, so that’s why most DJs in the GTA area are focused on North Indian music. But in smaller communities like the Sault, there’s not as much activity, so people coming from South India haven’t experienced it yet.”

Mani is also planning to host one event every month in communities across the country that don’t have a prominent Indian entertainment presence.

RAD Night in the Sault will be Mani’s first event, and will take place on Friday, Dec. 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Marconi Cultural Event Centre.

Music will be provided by ARPO Studios DJ Saint, and Indian Palate will have snacks available.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the door, or by contacting Mani at 647-517-4354.