All posts tagged: meghalaya

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“Music is my Coping Mechanism” — Soul Singer Claudia Lyngdoh from Shillong, Meghalaya

Claudia Lyngdoh is a music star waiting to be found! We discovered this budding female soul singer on Instagram and spent a good amount of time simply admiring her voice and the immense potential she has. She is a singer/songwriter who is juggling college life while moonlighting the career of her dreams — music. Currently living in Shillong, she’s gearing up to play at NH7 Weekender for the 2nd time!  Claudia sat down with R&L, on her very first interview ever, to share about life and an exclusive preview from her upcoming EP.  Hi Claudia, please introduce yourself to the R&L community! Hey there, I’m Claudia Lyngdoh, which is my stage name too. I’m 20 years ‘young’, born and brought up in Shillong. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelor’s at St. Mary’s College, Shillong and making music on the side. I feel I’m a soulful person with a similar soulful taste in music! Claudia at 93.5 Big Fm Radio You sing beautifully! Tell us how you got started. Aw, thank you. Funny story! I started my …

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Unwind With Nature in the Hills of Sohra, Meghalaya

Summer is almost ending and most of the monsoon rain has ceased. This means that the perfect season for travel has begun and our readers are certainly giving us vacation feels with their social media posts! The great weather makes for the perfect time to get away from the hustle and bustle for a trip!  Khliehshnong Village located on the way to Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya. One of our readers, Angule Mero from Nagaland, recently went on a small trip to Sohra, a small town in Meghalaya, only a few kilometres away from Shillong. Also known as Cherrapunji, this is one of the wettest places on earth. It is truly a paradise with its scenic natural landscapes, clean and pristine surroundings, and warm people. From adventurous activities to quiet spots to relax, this place has got everything. The place is dotted with waterfalls and offers opportunities for trekking, zip-lining, and exploring caves. It has also got some beautiful resorts and homestays that will make your time there even better. Pack and hit the road!  Happy adventures!

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“I Always Knew That I’d Work in The Fashion Industry”— Stylist Rishan Shabong from Shillong, Meghalaya

Many of us have different childhood fantasies and dreams that slowly fade as we grow older. We pick up more practical dreams along the way. However, for Rishan Shabong—a stylist and fashion enthusiast from Shillong—working in the fashion industry has always been the dream. And now, he is setting new standards for men’s style and breaking traditional barriers!  Join us as we discuss how he is making waves in the fashion industry as a stylist, dabbling in various other areas of fashion including design, modelling and is also an influencer. Hello Rishan, lovely to have you here. Tell us about yourself! Hey there! My name is Rishan Skhem Shabong, I’m 25-years-old and I am currently based in Bengaluru. I was born and raised in a beautiful town called Shillong! Since I was a young boy, I have always been the black sheep in the family. I guess my affinity to the creative arts distinguished me from the rest. I have always been an avid follower of fashion and always wanted to be in the fashion …

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“My Poetry is a Protest” — Vancouver Shullai from Shillong, On His First Book ‘How To Love A Broken Man’

At 23, Vancouver Shullai has published his book of poetry, won a national prize for his poetry and is already breaking out of the mold of traditional poetry-writing. Based in Shillong, he recently completed his masters in English from Bengaluru.  Talking to Vancouver Shullai is like taking a walk through his mind. Our conversation with him left us inspired, and wanting to indulge in his poetry. He says, ‘I really think that’s how art works, any form of art, be it music or paintings or films – the liberty to interpret that we as artists give our readers and spectators is in abundance’. Join us for a conversation with the winner of the 2017 Wingword Poetry Prize, on the publication of his first book of poetry, “How To Love A Broken Man”. Vancouver Shullai calls himself an artist, on a journey of constant change and improvement. To start off, we’d like to congratulate you for the release of your book! Please share a bit about yourself with our readers.  Thank you! I’m Vancouver Shullai, 23 …

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Head Over to Mikado Lounge, Shillong To Experience a Fun Night Out in The Hills of Meghalaya

Shillong is one of the places in North East India that has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment and nightlife throughout the year. So for all travelers planning to visit Shillong, make sure you explore the various cafes, restaurants, restobars to unwind your day after exploring the natural landscape in the area. Today in the spotlight, we have Mikado Lounge – a restobar located in Police Bazar Shillong. With an aim to change the restaurant and nightlife scene in Shillong, Mikado Lounge offers a lively ambiance – complete with food, drinks and live entertainment. We chat with Pooja from Mikado Lounge to get a glimpse into what they have to offer. We chat with Pooja from Mikado Lounge, Shillong to introduce us to the host of offerings for folks about town looking for some evening entertainment. Hello. Happy to have you with us today! Tell us a bit about the founders of Mikado Lounge. The journey of Hotel Pine Borough started way back in 1991 with its two wings namely, The Sunset Bar, and Mikado Restaurant. After …

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Trekking and Sunset Lovers, Head to the Laitlum Canyons in Meghalaya in the Northeast of India

If you are looking for a place to escape to, so that you can “start afresh”, then backpacking to the Northeast of India may be one of the best options out there. As it also happens to be one of the coolest places to be right now, you may as well stop your search right here, and start planning your one-of-a-kind trip! Our local guides of Roots and Leisure helps you explore the most happening local hotspots in the region so be assured that we’ll fill you in sufficiently with all the exclusive and local info. Today, our contributor Mahna Slong from Shillong takes us to the Laitlum Canyons in Meghlaya. Laitlum means “End of hills” and is a must visit if you wish to get a taste of what the region has to offer  beyond the sturdy hills that defines the region.  Mahna enjoying her hot cup of tea and the picturesque view of the Laitlum Canyons About the Laitlum canyons, Meghalaya by Mahna “The mountain and the hills have their way of challenging me so that I can …

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A Blossoming Crowd at the International Cherry Blossom Festival Shillong,2017

  Not long after the first International Cherry Blossom Festival pulled in almost 30,000 tourists from the nearing states to Shillong last year, Meghalaya yet again geared up for the second international cherry blossom festival. It was held at different locations across Shillong from the 8th November – 11th November 2017 to commemorate the cherry blossom spread through out the state. A quick look back!  The Himalayan cherry blossom grown wild in Meghalaya has long been associated with Japan. This annual festival is a reminiscent of the local heritage with its white and pink blooms all over the hills of Shillong. With around 5,000 trees planted along the Umiam Shillong road, Mawphlang and Ward’s Lake, the government of Meghalaya further targets to plant 20,000 trees by the festivals’ 50th anniversary. Day One of this years’ event kicked off at the 5th Ground, Polo Grounds, Shillong hosted by the Meghalaya Minister for Forests & Environment, Clement Marak. The opening day was marked by a pleasant painting and drawing competition followed by story telling, local folklore and fashion show accompanied by a great display of lights at …

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

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 …

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Badal On A Trip To Krang Shuri – A New Tourist Hot Spot in Meghalaya

Recently, my expedition took me to yet another unexplored site in the hills of Meghalaya. It seemed as if nature has blessed these hills with innumerable locations that travelers from afar get attracted to. Here’s how it began. After almost an hour journeying from Shillong towards Jowai, then taking another 45 minutes towards Amlarem, we finally reached our destination, Krang Shuri. A beautiful bliss of nature and a must visit for everyone travelling to Meghalaya. You would need to walk another kilometer or so to reach the location but on the way,  you can see the waterfall from a distance. My friend, who came along couldn’t resist taking a picture. From this place walk for about 5 minutes and you will reach the ticket counter. A minimum of ₹30 per person is charged as an entry free to Krang Shuri. Upon entry, we saw a huge crowd carrying their life jacket (for safety of course) heading towards a mini dam like structure where you could swim. We arrived near the natural pool and the first …

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

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 …