TAMPA — Ravi Jakhotia still remembers his first standing ovation.

The musician known internationally as “DJ Ravi Drums,” who would later perform at the Oscars and the Super Bowl, was 12 and had a drum solo at a Tampa dinner party celebrating the ancient Hindu festival of Diwali.

When he was done, the crowd of 200 in the rental hall stood, applauded and demanded an encore.

“I was so proud,” said Jakhotia’s father and longtime Tampa resident Ram Jakhotia. “To be the father of the boy everyone is cheering was a great feeling.”

When Ram next sees his son in action, it will be at the largest Indian event ever held in the U.S.

Jakhotia, a Chamberlain High School graduate, will perform at three events sponsored by the International Indian Film Academy when the “Bollywood Oscars” roll into town April 23-26.

He will perform as a DJ and drummer at the IIFA Stomp — a free and open-to-the-public celebration of Indian music, dance and cuisine 7 p.m. April 23 at Curtis Hixon Park.

He will then entertain the IIFA Rocks party — a VIP only fashion and music event 8 p.m. April 24 at the Tampa Convention Center.

His weekend will culminate at the “Bollywood Oscars” held 7 p.m. April 26 at Raymond James Stadium.

He is the pre-show entertainment, charged with working the crowd of more than 20,000 into a frenzy for when the cameras start rolling. And once they do, an estimated 800 million viewers from around the world will watch a six-minute opening dance number that tells the story of Tampa’s culture to music Jakhotia wrote.

“What IIFA does when it visits an area is celebrate what makes it unique,” Jakhotia said. “My music celebrates everything from the aquarium to the beaches to the Latin culture. If it is synonymous with Tampa, it is represented through my music and the choreographed performance.”

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DJ Ravidrums and Zen Arts Team Up! from Zen Arts on Vimeo.