All posts filed under: EVENT

Catching up with Pop/Rock Indie Band : Avora Records from Mizoram

Published by Lisa

With successful singles like “Sides” and “We Happy Few”, Aizawl-based pop/rock band, Avora Records has come a long way since they were just a couple of friends jamming together in 2013. An all-boy band creating quite the rave with their fun, upbeat J-Pop/rock and Indie music, this local-gig-favorite band from Aizawl, Mizoram, has shown the crowd that they are here to stay. Avora Records was one of the many artists that performed at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender this year in Meghalaya. Here is an excerpt from their interview with our R&L member, Lisa. Tell us how you guys got together? How did you come up with the band name? It started off as just a couple of friends hanging out recording songs in a studio back in 2013. Our first live gig was in 2016. The name of the band, Avora, is in honor of our producer and founder of the band, Mamaa. What’s your inspiration behind your music? What kind of music do you make? We try to make our music sound clean and honest. We …

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Exclusive Interview with Rudy Wallang and his Guitar Jamboree Group

Published by Lisa

“The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree” is a group of 8 guitarists from Northeast, India curated by SOULMATE‘s guitarist and song writer, Rudy Wallang. He shared the stage this year at the NH7 Weekender, Meghalaya along with 8 talented guitarists from Northeast- Cornelius Kharsyntiew , Aribam Uttam Sharma, Arenlong Longkumer , Gyt Artha , Ztpa Rokhum, Sonam Lachungpa and Takar Nabam R&L ‘s Lisa recently sat down for an interview with the members to talk about their act, how The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree came together, their music, and the music scene in the Northeast. So, tell us how you guys got together for “The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree”? Rudy: This whole idea behind the Guitar Jamboree started when OML contacted my brother, Keith about 3-4 months ago, to curate a guitar gig. They wanted a series of guitar acts leading up to the main act- Steve Vai, one of the headliners this year. So I got in touch with a few guitarists from the Northeast and eventually, this crew came together to form the “The Rudy Wallang Guitar Jamboree”. …

Interview with Triau Trackx Band from Mizoram

Published by Lisa

Triau Trackx is a pop-rock band based in Champhai, Mizoram. They released their self-titled album in 2015 and are currently recording their next EP. Lisa, from Roots and Leisure, recently sat down for a quick chat with band members, Ramenga(drummer), Ruatfeli(vocalist), Ate-a(guitarist) and Lalthazoa (Tz’a) (Bassist), before their performance at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Meghalaya. Here’s an excerpt from the interview as Triau Trackx tells us about their music style, thoughts on the Northeast music scene and their message to the R&L community. Tell us how you guys got together to form the band and the origin of your band name? It started out as a project to promote local artists based in Champai, Mizoram. There is a river called ‘Tiau’ which flows between India and Myanmar, which is near Champai, the people there used to call us Triau Trackx and that’s how the name of the band came to be. What kind of music do you make? We make different kinds of music, sometimes ballads-working with only a piano, and other times it is grunge music, …

Platforms like NH7 Can Play a Big Role in the Indian Rock Music Uprising : Thaikkudam Bridge

Published by Shweta Rao

Kochi-based folk metal collective, Thaikkudam Bridge is synonymous to versatility and unprecedented innovation in remaking classic melodies. The band has been ruling the roost in terms of gaining massive fan-following right from the first time its music was aired on TV. The recognition has translated itself to a gradually growing number of shows booked apart from collaboration offers from established international names in the industry. This year the sprawling 18-member band will be performing at the multi-city music festival, NH7 Weekender that begins at Shillong, Meghalaya this weekend. We chatted with Anish Krishnan, one of the latest addition to the band’s vocals team, who couldn’t hide his excitement to watch Steve Vai perform live at the event. Shweta from Roots and Leisure interviews the Kochi-based folk metal collective band. Hey Anish! How excited are you about performing at NH7 Weekender? Yes, this is our first trip to Shillong and we’re very excited about it. After a delayed flight, weather scare, and a day layover at Bangalore, we have finally arrived to Shillong to give our share …

It Took Us 28 Years to Reach Shillong : An Exclusive Interview with Indian Ocean Band

Published by Shweta Rao

India’s happiest music festival is here! Music fans across the country have been eagerly waiting for Bacardi NH7 Weekender. And this time around, the festival is back with more exciting artists that promise action-packed performances. The multi-city music festival, which has previously played host to stellar performers like AR Rahman, Mark Ronson, Vishal Dadlani and Nucleya among others will be starting off at Shillong (27 to 28 October) again this year and will have its final showdown at Pune (8 to 10 December). As the marvelous musical weekend nears, Shweta from Roots & Leisure sat down to speak with members of Indian Ocean, a band that has been a staple at NH7 Weekender for a few years now and is a phenomenon in itself. Amit Kilam (drums, percussions and vocals) and Nikhil Rao (lead guitarist) tell us about what’s in store for their fans in the 2017 edition of one of India’s largest music festival. Photo : Indian Ocean What are you looking forward to the most about performing at NH7 Weekender this year? Amit …

Interview with Polar Lights Band from Nagaland

Published by Senti Naro

Nagaland in the North East region of India is an artist hub. Unlike the place which is mostly an unknown corner in the country, artists from this part are often one of the most recognized in their fields – especially musicians. North East region produces the country’s best original music artists. Today we are sitting with Mar Jamir – the lead singer of the super talented band from Nagaland – Polar Lights. Meet Mar Jamir from the band ‘Polar Lights’. Formed in the year 2013, they have come a long way. Hello Mar so good to be having this chat with you! Tell us about your band “Polar Lights” Polar Lights came together back in 2013. We’ve always been avid music enthusiasts, so when the opportunity came for all of us to get together and write music, we gave it a shot and 3 years later, we’re still here – writing music and doing what we love doing the most. So it was definitely worth the shot. We’ve had a couple of lineup changes since our inception but …

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Are You Headed to Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2017 Shillong ?

Published by Roots & Leisure

Folks! It’s time for another music festival in this beautiful part of the country – in the North East of India. Brace yourself for BACARDI NH7 Weekender 2017 – the Shillong edition, to be held on the 27th and 28th Oct. Looks like many of us are headed to “Wenfield, The Festive Hills” – Thadlaskein, Lad Mukhla, in Jaintia Hills – the venue for the happiest music festival! What are our folks saying about the festival? In order to give you guys a good enough view of the festival – in terms of what to expect, we reached out to a bunch of festival goers, to share their experiences, and how they are planning for this year’s event. Soyingo Ezung, 27, Entrepreneur | Owner, House of Candy “One of the coolest events to take place in India hands down. Very well organized and very safe event – but nonetheless, be safe and don’t forget to enjoy! Keep a lookout for the local musicians – you will be amazed at all the talent India has – in every …

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Spotting Fashion at the Ziro Festival of Music 2017

Published by Pooja Ghose

The Ziro Festival of Music that happens every year in Arunachal Pradesh is one of the most popular music festivals in India. It’s mainly known for three things : Music, The Location (the scenic beauty of Ziro guys!) and the Fashion. It’s a beautiful coming together of musical talents from across the country and beyond – and lovers of Music, Nature, Travel and of course Fashion! Can we call it the Coachella of India already? Here’s a snapshot of the sartorial sightings from the festival that was held from 28th Sept to 1st Oct 2017. Yanam from Arunachal wore a self-made floral dress over a black knitted top – completing the look with black sneakers. “I have been attending the Ziro Festival of Music for 4 consecutive years now. This year, I decided to spend some time exploring the vicinity areas – including the paddy fields and bamboo groves, before making my way to the festival site. I chose to wear a self-made floral dress with a knitted top to keep me warm and sneakers to make sure …

Cosplay is a Serious Game for These Indian Cosplayers from Nagaland

Published by Roots & Leisure

Folks here’s an update on yet another Cosplay event organized by the Nagaland Anime Junkies. Some people say it’s just a fad but the passion of the organizers and the participants alike, seem to show otherwise. Let’s watch and see what comes out of this interesting (literal) cultural play, but for now let us enjoy the elaborate dress-ups and the performances by the cosplayers. Here is a glimpse of what went down at NAJ (Nagaland Anime Junkies) Cosfest 2017, that was held in Kohima, Nagaland. Cosplayer Lanujungshila Imchen, as 2B Nier from Automata Cosplayer Kevitshetuo Sekhose as Joker from Suicide Squad. Cosplayer Grace Soukhrie as Sona from League of Legends Cosplayer Ayim as Raiden, Jack the Ripper from the game, Metal Gear Rising – Revengeance Cosplayer Ayim as Monokuma from the videogame, DanganRonpa Photo Courtesy : HOPONG CHANG – official photographer for NAJ COSFEST 2017 South east Asian cultures, especially those of Japan and Korea, have an unmissable influence in shaping the pop-culture in Nagaland. The way the dress, the art forms used to express themselves, the food they …

My Experience at Nagaland Hornbill Festival 2014

Published by Roots & Leisure

Our reader Priyanka Mhatre from Mumbai, shares her Hornbill festival with Roots and Leisure. In December 2014, one of my friends Radhika asked me to join her on a trip to Nagaland. It was a random plan with a fleeting mention about a festival called Hornbill. I always loved impromptu plans, so I agreed to go with this one as well. Luckily, we had a friend from Nagaland, who helped us book our tickets to reach the festival through a convenient route. With just a week left for the trip, I thought of looking up the web to learn more about Nagaland and the Hornbill festival. My Google search results threw up pictures that looked amazing. Apparently, the festival was organized in a hilly area where the local tribes participated to showcase their culture and lifestyle. I also came to know that our Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi was scheduled to grace the festival with his presence. This wasn’t some obscure festival after all. I was going to be a part of something big! I …