the Big Tree – solar power with powerful
performances
Echoes of Earth's proclivity toward
organic extended not just to their
music, but also to the stalls it hosted.
Shirts made by hemp, organic
sunscreen and ethically sourced
jewellery comprised just a few of the
items available.
Bare Necessities at Echoes of Earth –
sustainable everything!
There was an air of love and security
that ran through the festival, be it
at the food court where a child was
begging his mother to buy him an ice-
cream or between stages, where a full-
blown cricket match was taking place.
AC shredding over Aditi Ramesh’s
exquisite vocals
Ankur Tewari brought his soul-
stirring compositions live with the
help of an exquisite band. As he has
been doing for time immemorial
with Zero, Sid Coutto's harmonies
provided Tewari with the perfect
platform to let his voice take centre
stage, filling up all sonic space and
adding a much-needed layer.
Soul-stirring and heart-warming,
Ankur Tewari
When Chai Met Toast –
the quintessential festival band
brought their sing-alongable, happy
go lucky tunes to the Mandala stage.
The happiness and comradery
seen on stage was contagious and
resonated both with the music and
with the crowd.
the man himself, Dualist Inquiry, playing
a classic riff
Co-headlining the festival was
Awesome Tapes from Africa, who
closed the Mandala stage with,
well, awesome tapes from Africa.
Filled with beats that had chants in
indigenous African languages, the
set transported the audience half the
world away.
Awesome Tapes from Africa, a man who
exemplifies Echoes of Earth as a festival
All excitement and chatter at the
festival, however, was directed at
three letters: FKJ. The French multi-
instrumentalist who pioneered live
looping brought his vast live setup to
India for the second time in as many
years, which had the audience abuzz
with unfathomable excitement. His
set was the fitting end to what had
been an incredible festival and a
reminder that Echoes of Earth is,
and always will be, about the earth
and its elements.the set transported
the audience half the world away.
“I’ll tell mom if you push me off!” –
Echoes of Earth was fun for the
whole family!
Next on the Mandala Stage was Aditi
Ramesh, who has had a meteoric
year and a half. The introduction of
‘AC' on guitars and a flautist added
a vibrant element to the set that can
be condensed to a single word – tight.
This resulted in a well-disciplined
performance, but also one that saw the
artists enjoying themselves on stage,
with their infectious energy resonating
with the crowd.
No festival is complete without When
Chai Met Toast’s life-affirming tunes!
All attention then moved back to
the Lionfish stage where the mighty
Dualist Inquiry debuted his band
avatar in Bangalore. Sahej took his
one-man guitar-synth-mixer set to
a much larger scale, incorporating
a violin, drums and keys into his
performance.
FKJ live and looping!
All in all, Echoes of Earth pushed the
envelope on forward thinking music
festivals in India. They were true
to their cause in an unprecedented
manner. While festivals nowadays
claim to be environmentally friendly,
it seems gimmicky and superficial,
however, Echoes of Earth was free from
any pretence and their commitment to
the surroundings and to the music was
top-notch.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
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