For over 25 years, wowing crowds with their blend of Indian bhangra, Bollywood & folk with reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean grooves, Funkadesi emphatically personifies inclusive joy.

Abdul Hakeem

(guitar and vocals)

Abdul, a Chicago native, is recognized as perhaps the most prolific reggae and funk guitarist in the Chicago area. He has worked with such greats as Sly & Robbie, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, and has performed with Hassan Hakmoun. Recently, Abdul performed with Phillip Glass in conjunction with Vanessa Redgrave in Kosovo as part of a United Nations movement promoting peace and unity in the region. Some of the artists and projects Abdul has worked with include: Kwame and WAN Africa; Muso Suso (Gambia); Skopie Macedonia. Abdul was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chicago Music Awards.

Carlos Cornier

(congas and percussion)

Carlos is a New York-born Puerto Rican musician who has studied and performed many Latin rhythmic traditions, and has been a member of the all-percussion ensemble, Primal Connection, and more recently, Sabu and Picante. He is an award-winning documentary film-maker, and writes for World Percussion and Rhythm magazine. Carlos also is a gifted educator on Latin/Caribbean drumming, and is an instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Inder Paul Singh

(keyboards and vocals)

Inder is an American-born Indian who has pursued the study of funk, bhangra, and hip-hop music. Inder is an accomplished keyboardist who is also a respected composer, producer, bhangra/hip-hop re-mixer, and DJ. Inder also has completed his doctoral degree in the field of Medicine, practicing as an ophthalmologist, specializing in glaucoma surgery.

Kwame Steve Cobb

(drum kit, djembe, vocals, and percussion)

For more than three decades Kwame has honed his musical skills while sharing stages with well known recording artists Lou Rawls, Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Turrentine, Anita Baker, Roy Ayers, Peabo Bryson and many others. Kwame and Chavunduka, a dynamic husband and wife team, work closely with youth in workshops and seminars, sharing unique insights into the popular culture, particularly music and its impact on the social, economic and political lives of our communities. Most recently, Kwame has received certification as a trauma-informed educator & facilitator.

Lloyd King

Lloyd Brodnax King

(flutes, saxophone, and vocals)

In addition to Funkadesi, Lloyd performs with the Soulbillys, the Sun Ensemble and the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective. He is also a prolific songwriter. His awards include an NEA fellowship in jazz, an Illinois Arts Council fellowship for composition, and a Joseph Jefferson award for his score to Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Macbeth. After gaining recognition for his broadcast project, The Obscure News, he was hired to help Chicago Public Radio start their broadcast initiative, Vocalo.org. He is also currently Lecturer in Music at Lake Forest College.

Lloyd King

Lloyd Brodnax King

(flutes, saxophone, and vocals)

Maninderpal Singh

(tablas, dhol, percussion, trombone, vocals)

Born in Punjab, and raised in Canada, Maninder is an accompanist/soloist for Hindustani classical, folk, Carnatic, ghazal, and classical dance. Maninder has studied with tabla masters including Zakir Hussain, Samar Saha, Shyam Kane, and Arshid Sayed. He has performed with a variety of musicians, including Buddha Dev Dasgupta and Fareed Haque. Maninder also accompanied a traditional Sikh music group (jatha) from Toronto who have released a CD of devotional hymns (Shabad Kirtan) from the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture). It also contains translations of the message of the Guru in English. As a seeker, Arhatic yogi, musician, digital artist, empath, and tech geek, Maninder has been performing, recording and producing music as part of his evolution of creative expression. He has created his own record label, IO Records.

Maninderpal Singh

(tablas, dhol, percussion, trombone, vocals)

Pavithra

(vocals and percussion)

Trained in Indian classical music and Indian classical dance (Bharathanatyam) Pavithra Hails from Southern India (Tamil Nadu), Pavithra has been performing throughout the United States for over 20 years. She specializes in different genres of music such as Indian Semi classical, Punjabi folk (Bhangra), Bollywood (Indian Cinema) and devotional music. Her performances are infectious, as she electrifies crowds with her unique ability to rap and sing in many languages (English, hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam)..

Rahul Sharma

(founder; bass guitar, sitar)

Rahul was born in the U.S. shortly after his parents emigrated from Kenya. He has performed blues, funk, and reggae for many years, culminating in his conceiving of the idea of Funkadesi. In 2017, Rahul was the recipient of the Joyce Foundation Award, where he was commissioned to co-compose a musical piece, “Quantum Englewood,” to provide arts opportunities for youth in high-risk environments. The piece was performed by hundreds of musicians in late 2018, with Funkadesi as one of two house bands. Rahul is a Licensed Psychologist & consultant. His company, Strategic Inclusion Consulting, often integrating elements of Funkadesi for experiential learning in his Speaking/Coaching/Consulting/Training engagements.

Rich Conti

(vibes and percussion)

Rich is a healer whose vibes bring an energy to Funkadesi in more than just a musical way. His has retired from a long 40 year career as a physical therapist for children and adults with disabilities. Rich has played percussion in ensembles all around Chicagoland including Primal Connection, Mambo Express, the U of C Javanese Gamelon Ensemble, and Picante. He received a degree in Music at SUNY at Fredonia, studied at the Bloom School of Jazz, and traveled to Brazil to learn percussion. Rich does fine art woodworking and his artistic design and photography can be seen on Funkadesi’s latest CD, Yo Baba.

Valroy Dawkins

(vocals and percussion)

Born and raised in Jamaica, Valroy is an accomplished singer and songwriter who has performed over the last 30 years. Valroy was the former principal dancer with the West Indian Folk Dance Company. He has also trained in West African dance. He is a healer and educator that is committed to the upliftment and encouragement of youth through arts and identity affirmation. He has traveled to West Africa and Brazil with the African-based drum ensemble SPIRITS.

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