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 feel the 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!
