A
t MICA, the School of Ideas, we find novel
ways in which to express our individualities.
One way through which we make our ideas
and opinions come to life is through a unique
amalgamation of music and literature.
Kultura is a Polish word which means ‘culture’ in
English, and it quite satisfactorily encapsulates
all that Kultura means for us. The confluence
music, poetry and literature is nothing short of an
explosion of culture that comes every spring.
The second edition of Kultura, happened
on the 24th and 25th February.
This year, there was something on offer for everyone.
And the scale and grandeur of the event was unlike what
MICA had seen in the past. With one of the main driving
forces of Studio7 being the championing of upcoming
and indie talent across the music industry, Kultura
proved to be the perfect platform to realise this.
Organised in association with Crossloop, the
makers of India’s first designer earphones,
Kultura 2019 was a spectacle to behold.
The two day fest began with a Music Pop Quiz held in
association with Headbangers Merchandise. All music
related trivia from all possible genres got representation
as the contestants battled to reach the final prize, but it
would be reasonable to say that Bollywood music got its
fair share. However, with upcoming indie artists such
as Prateek Kuhad, Ankur Tewari and the like making a
slow but sure migration towards Bollywood music, while
of course also retaining the indie flavour that got them
where they are now, there is an increased interest towards
the not much publicised indie music scene, driven mainly
by the younger generations. Despite this fact, those of us
who are less impressed by the mainstream Indian music
scene and crave for a breath of fresh air that takes the
form of indie music, still find it difficult to search for
good quality indie music which is so hard to come by,
given how there is next to no publicity in this genre.
That being said, the music quiz proved to be the platform
for quite a few music enthusiasts to prove their mettle, and
also get rewarded in this endeavour. In the spirit of keeping
the musical and pop culture tradition alive, Headbangers
Merchandise sponsored the prizes for the winners of the
quiz, who became the proud owners of a couple of very funky
T-shirts from bands such as Poets of the Fall, and other
official merchandise from bands such as Black Sabbath.
Day 2 had us exploring the ‘creation’ aspect of music. A
guitar workshop was conducted in collaboration with
Nidus Academy of Music and Arts, Ahmedabad.
Finally, in the night of Day 2, the final day of Kultura
2019, it was time for the one act that everyone was looking
forward to. The pro-night, where the headline act was
When Chai Met Toast, managed to exceed all expectations,
making a night like never before. Described as creators
of “honest, happy music”, whose tunes are reminiscent of
the likes of Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and John
Mayer, When Chai Met Toast are one of the few acts that
have successfully blended Western and Eastern influences
in music and created songs that would make one smile.
Whoever called this neo-folk act the next big
thing on the Indian indie scene was not wrong.
At Kultura 2019, When Chai Met Toast were able
to prove that music speaks a language of its own,
and nothing can defeat good quality music.
When Chai Met Toast talk of the ‘joy of little things’ and of
‘finding yourself’ in their tracks. And we at Studio7, having
assumed the mantle of furthering the cause of music at
MICA, believe that amidst the cheering and the singing
along at the pro-night, we all found a little of ourselves.
When Melodies Reigned at MICA
Devishi Dar, member, Studio7 MICA
The
Score Magazine
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