Punjabi Trumpeter Sonny Singh Performs at Hamptons Jazz Fest

Hamptons Jazz Fest presents Punjabi vocalist and trumpeter Sonny Singh performing at The Church on Thursday, July 27. The evening begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. followed by the concert from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Known for bringing his fiery trumpet and vocals to audiences around the world, Singh will fill The Church’s studio space with anthems that uplift and ignite. Singh’s music is a reminder that hope, love and devotion are crucial to our struggles and our collective survival. Singh’s musical talents range across genres like ska, reggae, funk, punk rock, bhangra and more.

Singh was an original member of the bhangra brass band Red Baraat and recently debuted his solo career with the release of his album “Chardi Kala” in 2022. The album is a return to Sonny’s Punjabi and Sikh roots, but through the lens he’s developed over the course of his life as a touring musician, educator and activist. Musically, the project embodies the many spiritual, political and aesthetic elements that have shaped Singh: a bolero-mariachi Sikh shabad on one track, a qawwali song with a reggae bass line on another, and a bombastic Ghadar Party tribute in Punjabi and Spanish on another. His live band, which includes harmonium, electric guitar, tabla and dhol provides listeners with an experience of both introspective reflection and fervent urgency.

Brooklyn-based Sonny Singh has launched a solo project of boundary-defying Punjabi anthems to uplift and ignite. His first musical outlet as a child of immigrant parents in North Carolina was singing Sikh devotional music in gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship). His energy shifted to other types of music as he became a more serious musician: ska, reggae, funk, punk rock, bhangra, and more. In 2003, Singh co-founded the political rock band Outernational and recorded an album produced by Tom Morello. As a singer and trumpet player, he has been central to the sound and raw energy of Red Baraat since the band's inception in 2008, touring globally and recording five studio albums. He has also performed with notable artists including Michael Franti & Spearhead, Ozomatli, Toshi Reagon, Arooj Aftab, Ankur Tewari, The Ska Vengers and DJ Rekha.

Tickets to the Hamptons Jazz Fest performance by Sonny Singh at The Church are $30 ($25 members, $15 ages 18 and under) at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor.