All posts filed under: ARTISTS

Explore Local Artists and Know Their Stories

“I Honestly Feel That Anything Close To Me Inspires Me To Draw, You Don’t Have To Look Far” – Keneisenuo, A Visual Artist From Nagaland Talks To R&L About Her Work And Inspirations.

Published by Shanmi

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it” – Ansel Adams It’s not everyday that you come across someone who takes in every minute detail of the world. But we’ve met Keneisenuo, who views the small things in life we tend to ignore and create something beautiful through her lovely art. And for us to feature someone inspiring in our blog always makes us happy. Take a look as Kenei talks about her work and what inspires her to create such lovely artwork. We had a chat with the very creative artist and illustrator Keneisenuo from Kohima, Nagaland. She talks about spending all her free time drawing and how the rough experiences she went through inspired her to deliver better works. Hello Kenei! Tell us a little about yourself. Hi! I’m Keneisenuo but I’m better known as, Kenei. I am from Kohima, Nagaland and I’m currently working as a Visual artist for a company called Vebbler based out of Bangalore, India. Whenever I get free time, I draw anything that inspires me and also try …

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“I Want to Put North East India on The Global Fashion Map” – Fashion Designer Reena Ahanthem from Manipur Talks About Her Fashion Aspirations and Next Moves

Published by Shanmi

Fashion and North East India found each other as though they were always meant to be. Folks from this region and their aesthetics have pretty much guided the fashion direction of the country. With colorful cultures and customs that foster the revival of trends from the past – that are constantly being recycled by the young trendsetters to ensure that design influences from this region stay in vogue for a long long time – and into the future. Fashion designer Reena Ahanthem from Manipur is an exemplary figure whose own style and work seek to revive and reinvent traditional wear from North East India – and manages to put keep them fashionable even in modern times. Born with a natural taste for fashion, she decides to pursue her passion by joining a fashion school, and later teaming up with a friend to start their fashion label “Deepankshi and Reena.” After running the label for almost a decade and dressing many celebrities with their creations, Reena is nor ready to move forward with her own individual …

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“We Hope People Take Away Imagery of Emotions, Peace of Mind and Hope Through Our Music” – A Chat With Indie Artist Subhadra Kamath of ‘The Yellow Bucket’ from Delhi

Published by Shanmi

Another musical gem from Delhi chats with R&L to take us into the widely spreading world of the indie music scene in the country. Today we have Subhadra Kamath, a singer-songwriter, bassist and main vocalist of “The Yellow Bucket” from Delhi. She has been singing from a very young age and grew up surrounded by music lovers. She credits her very supportive family, who has given her space and the confidence to pursue her passion for music. She is also a theatre artist and a music teacher “I also teach music and am deeply interested in learning how to use the arts as a means for self-expression and healing.” Let’s get to know the very fascinating musician and artist Subhadra and her various interests over a quick chat! We chat with the very talented musician Subhadra Kamath as she shares about her indie band “The Yellow Bucket” – an electro-acoustic band from Delhi. Read on to know more about her, the band and their music. Hi Subhadra, so nice to have you with us today! Please introduce …

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“Our Songs are Inspired By Our Real-Life Experiences – and Sometimes from Our Imagined Reality” – Meet Indie Band “Jenny and the Cinematics” from Mizoram

Published by Shanmi

  Raise your hands if you have already been introduced to the unique local musical talents from Mizoram – and is already a fan. One right here! A thing that we really admire about musicians from Mizoram is the way they tastefully mix their local dialects with the most trending tempo and mood. This, we think, is what makes their music stand out from the crowd – and at the same time, makes them even more relatable. Today, we have the charismatic duo: Jajah Fanai and Naom Chhangte from the Indie band “Jenny and the Cinematics” from Aizawl, Mizoram. Dreamy and pleasing as their music, the duo is here to introduce us to their music and give us a taste of their latest music video “I Sulhnu” and more. “The name ‘Jenny and the Cinematics’ is our version of “Alice in Wonderland.” Here, a small town kid (Jenny) goes to the cinema for the first time and is left in awe and fascination by this cinematic experience of hers.” Meet band members Jajah Fanai and Naom Chhangte from the …

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“The Fact That We Were All Rebels Brought Us Together Through Punk Music” | A Chat With Indie Punk Rocker Girls From Delhi & Arunachal – The Vinyl Records!

Published by Shanmi

Today we have some refreshing guests with us. Presenting  ‘The Vinyl Records’ – a powerful, post-punk rock girl band from Delhi. Comprising of four fierce and bold women from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, they share a common love for post-punk rock, and are here to make some great music with a dash of glam rock. ‘The Vinyl Records’ have been playing across the country since their inception in 2011. TVR has also performed at large scale music festivals such like NH7 weekender, Ziro Festival of Music and Puma loves Vinyl, proving that girls indeed can rock as hard as the boys! The lovely ladies chat with R&L to share more about themselves, and their music. Here’s a fun chat with the members of Indie Post-Punk band “The Vinyl Records” from Delhi. This all girl band from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam share some interesting tit-bits about their band, their music and more. Read on to know more about them, what ticks their boxes and all the things that inspire these rockstars. Hi guys! Thanks so much for talking with us! Give us a …

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Artist and Entrepreneur Gitana Singh From New Delhi Chats About Her Venture “Cocoa Bark Series” Which Offers Unique Personalized Homemade Chocolates

Published by Shanmi

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”  ― Linda Grayson Baking and chocolate go hand in hand. For Gitana Singh from Delhi, baking has always been her therapy and a souce of relaxation. A generous soul, Gitana loves gifting the goodies she makes, to friends and family, all the while experimenting with new flavours and toppings. This gave her the idea to start her handmade chocolate venture called “Cocoa Bark Series” last summer. With a wide variety of experimental combinations to choose from, Gitana makes a wide variety of customized chocolates – exactly the way her customers want it. So let’s get to know this multi-talented chocolatier a little bit more. Today, we chat with Gitana Singh, a young musician, foodie and entrepreneur from Delhi. She talks about her handmade chocolate venture, “Cocoa Bark Series” and her journey as a stage artist. Read on to find out more about this lovely soul. Hey Gitana! Thank you for speaking with us. Tell our readers a little about yourself. My name is Gitana Singh. I …

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Lipok Esther – An Artist and Entrepreneur from Nagaland Talks About Her Passion Venture “Fire and Earth Ceramics”

Published by Shanmi

Pottery has been a craft ever since our ancestral times. It is said that people in East Asia started making pottery as early as 14000 BC before they even started farming. From being a necessary craft within a household, pottery today has evolved into an art form – with many artists experimenting with various materials and techniques to keep this craft relevant even in modern times.  Today, we chat with a talented ceramic artist – Lipok Esther from Nagaland to talk about her venture ‘Fire and Earth Ceramics’ which has caught the attention of many not only in Nagaland but also beyond. She speaks passionately about her craft, emphasizing her dedication to preserving Naga heritage and customs. According to her, ceramics is relatively new in Nagaland, even though pottery has always been part of Naga culture. Throiugh her venture, she aims to introduce ceramics while honoring Naga art forms and her own passion for pottery. Chats with ceramic artist Lipok Esther from Nagaland to learn more about her venture ‘Fire and Earth Ceramics’ Lipok’s creations …

Exclusive Interview with KPOP Band MONT During Their Visit to Nagaland for the Hornbill International Music Festival 2018

Published by Roots & Leisure

Amidst the excitement of the annual Hornbill Festival in Nagaland (Dec 1-10), festival-goers had another treat waiting for them in Dimapur at the Hornbill International Music Festival. Kpop band M.O.N.T (Members Of the National Team) from South Korea were in Dimapur for the music festival as a part of their pre-debut tour in India. This headliner had the Kpop fans in Nagaland in a frenzy!  Korean culture has always been a fascination for the youngsters in Nagaland – which is apparent with their experimentation with Korean food, KBeauty, KDrama, KPop, Korean style and more. So when the news about their tour came out, the frenzied local Kpop fans were more than ready to welcome the upcoming Kpop sensation M.O.N.T to Nagaland. There was a press conference shortly after they reached Dimapur to address the media and their fans about their scheduled performance at the Hornbill International Music Festival 2018. Roots & Leisure had a quick chat with the Kpop band M.O.N.T from South Korea, to know about their music, their culture and their trip to Nagaland. Band …

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The “Hornbill International Music Festival”, 2018 Kickstarts in Dimapur, Nagaland.

Published by Shanmi

The much-awaited Hornbill International Music Festival has officially kicked off on the 1st of December at Agri Expo site, 4th mile Dimapur, Nagaland. The music festival will carry on till 10th while the Rock Contest will start from 5th to 8th of December. Four bands from Nagaland and 20 visiting bands have been selected through the audition for the Rock Contest, 2018. The ten-day long music festival will altogether have 24 bands which include 5 bands from Nagaland.  The opening day witnessed 5 renowned bands from Nagaland, namely – Cosmic Impact, Annie’s OK, Avancer, Papersky and Lords of Rock, and saw about a good number of enthusiatic crowd as well. The second day titled “Praise Sunday” saw a number of soulful performances by various Christian artists such as  Tali Angh, Beyond Sunday, Jack Pucho & the Warehouse Worship and Power Faith. Apart from the concert, 32 stalls were also set up to satisfy the hungry tummy of the people that attended the show on day 1. Below is a lineup of all the amazing artists who …

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Talented Hairstylist Joseph Hauzel from Mizoram Wants Us To Be Inspired by His Colourful Work and His Story!

Published by Shanmi

“Follow your dreams” – is a saying we’re all too familiar with. No matter how small or big, it is much easier said than done. It takes courage to take that leap towards commiting to develop the passion that drives each one of us to achieving our dreams. When Joseph Hauzel from Mizoram decided to take the plunge and chase after a career in hairstyling, all he had was a good senses of self belief. He listened then and now continues to listen to his intuition and stays positive when criticisms do not come gently. He used it as a tool to work harder for his own personal growth. Joseph is an inspiration and a living example for all of us to follow our hearts no matter what our circumstances. Today, we are happy to feature Joseph Hauzel who is a professional hairstylist from Mizoram. He talks about the hardships he went through while starting off in the industry, what made him follow his dreams and how he’s steadily risen to the top. Hello Joseph! …