SOUVIK CHAKRABORT Y
SINGING IN THE GRAINS :
THE BEST SONG
STATIONS OF INDIA
The travelling musicians of yesteryears settled at different locations in the sub continent infusing the culture with their scent
of music. Some of the most iconic singers, musicians and composers continued the legacy like a tradition and soon created a
thriving fraternity across different pockets of the country. Unlike most continents, the music produced by this movement was
essentially lacking a homogeneity and sounded 'different' and intriguing to the ears of its native listeners. The economies of
scale associated with the industry of music, soon facilitated organized events across the regions in which the music belonged
by tradition. These gatherings were celebrated like 'festivals' along with the spirit of the culture to which that music is
associated with. Hence, we have got a host of unique festivals that should be every audiophiles' rollicking delight.
The Ragasthan Festival in Jaisalmer packs in a
powerhouse of entertainment and refreshment, which hosts
music, dance, cuisine and even independent cinema. Besides,
hosting classical, techno, folk, rock and alternative music; the
festival also boasts of an unique joyride on camel backs and
three days of pure ecstasy and that too with the backdrop of the
scenic Khurdi dunes! The Ragasthan Festival happens usually
in the winters in the month of November.
The Rhythm and Blues Festival of Kasauli is celebrated
by the Genesis Foundation, to facilitate the surgeries of
underprivileged children with heart diseases. The mountains
of the Himalayan range perfectly captivate the aura and
essence of a band playing out jazz, rock or blues. This R&B
festival has seen the footfall of many music freaks from around
the world and has soon become a destination where one
gathers to feelthe closest to nature with the sound of music
echoing in his ear.
The Magnetic Fields in Rajasthan provide a perfect getaway
to the freaks of the electronic music and the lovers of the rich
tradition and extravagant architectures. The festival takes
place in the splendid 17th-century Alsisar Mahal at
Shekhawati in Rajasthan.
The Hornbill Festival in Kohima, Nagaland presents the
sweet melodies of the hill amidst the lush green meadows
in the backdrop. This festival is hosted by the Tourism
Department of the State and is held for ten days in the cool
month of December. The Hornbill fest is a fabulous getaway in
the 'Switzerland of the East', with arts, sports and culture fused
in one amazing festival.
The Ziro festival of Arunachal Pradesh transpires in the
lush green meadows of the north east and the sere mountains
in the distant. Ziro has been consistently promoting 'up and
kicking hard musicians'. Hence, if you want to indulge in
some raw and fresh talents of the country, Ziro is the go to
destination for indie pop, rock and electronic musicians.
Not all musical fests in India are limited by the culture of
its place, there are a host of multi genre best in class music
festivals that would give any international line-up a run for
their money! Some of these festivals garner more attention
from the musical travellers of our globe than some of the best
of the best international festivals.
The Sula Fest in the idyllic hills of Nashik has been an ideal
location for those who love a cocktail of good food and good
wine. The Sula Fest also endorses a bunch of new talents every
year at its festivals, thus nurturing a talent pool and at the
same time exhibiting them to a host of wine connoisseurs and
music enthusiast.
Mood Indigo Festival is a cute little project that stemmed
out of an immense passion for good music and soon emerged
into a hotspot of cultural exchange between musicians of
different calibre. The best part of this festival is that it
sparked off with an initiative by the students of IIT for a
meagre budget of 5000 rupees, so if you are always game for a
bit of an indie music at an independent music festival, do not
lose tuning to this blockbuster of a musical high.
Sunburn is the iconic three day long extravaganza of world
class electronic music. Sunburn takes the musical madness
to another level by spicing up the musical experience with
the locales of the naughty Goan sand beaches. Sunburn is
the perfect YOLO experience that every music lover should
experience at least once in their youth if not late. Sunburn
has also grabbed a lot of eyeballs over the years for featuring
ace artists from across the globe along with some of the
underground troupe of newbie in our nation.
The Enchanted valley carnival in Aambey valley is another
new age international music festivals that take on amazingly
wide spectra of artists from techno and multi genre music.
The festival rocks hard at about hundred kilometres far from
the bustle of the main city, lapped in the mist of the Shayadri
range. This festival is almost all inclusive and considers even
Bollywood in its main course.
So whether you have planned for a trip on a weekend or taken
a long haul, or decided to travel in winter, summers or the
rains in North, South, West or the North east; do not miss out
on the amazing experience of diving deep in the divinity of music!
The
Score Magazine
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