Gryffin and KSHMR to Headline Lunar New Year Events In NYC

Two Asian-American titans of dance music come together to highlight the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year at Avant Gardner.

Globally, Lunar New Year is recognized as an important celebration for many Asian cultures. While Chinese New Year, or Chinese Spring Festival, is the most well-known, it shares much of its symbolism with the broader Lunar New Year. And now, two artists from differing Asian-American backgrounds are coming together to celebrate in NYC. Gryffin and KSHMR will bring their talents to the Great Hall for a two-day Spring Festival on January 20-21. This is the first time the electronic music scene has hosted a US-based Lunar New Year-focused event, despite the prevalence of this celebratory day around the country.

Each of these artists comes from a distinct background, yet they share an Asian bond and a love of Spring Festival, which brings them together for this unique event. Gryffin has an American father and a Japanese mother, while KSHMR is of Kashmiri-Indian descent. Together, they partnered with Pulse Events, which focuses on Asian artists and events to put on Spring Festival.

I grew up familiar with Indian music and movies because of my dad but I wasn’t really interested in making music with Indian elements until later on in my life when appreciation for my heritage grew. That’s when I started KSHMR as a tribute to my Dad and my Grandparents who are from KSHMR.
KSHMR

I think it’s really important that we have good representation in the music industry, and I’m very proud to be of Japanese descent. I have a lot of fans that identify with that really well and identify with me being Asian American. I really appreciate all the fans that I’ve gained over the years, and I hope that continues! Even working with Asian American artists has been a really important thing and something that I’d like to continue focusing on moving forward.
Gryffin

With such a predominance of Asian backgrounds in the scene, it’s really nice to see artists and promoters calling more attention to their culture. Tickets are on sale now for Spring Festival: Chinese New Year Celebration 2023, so don’t miss out!