Here’s what makes the Ziro Festival, a music lover and traveller’s delight
The picturesque Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh becomes home to musicians and listeners alike every year when the enigmatic Ziro Festival arrives. Founded by Bobby Hano and Anup Kutty in 2012, the Festival will be clocking a dozen circles around the sun. Over the years what seemed like a small gathering of music lovers expanded into a massive outdoor music festival with hundreds from all across the country and abroad chiming in to listen to some of the greatest talents in this field. Apart from music, the Ziro Festival has also given rise to concepts like conscious traveling, community- building, travel and tourism, and much more.
In the past, the festival has hosted Local and National names including Benry Moses from Nagaland, East Himalayan Folk Quintet from Assam, G Jackals from Arunachal Pradesh, Cassettes from Mizoram, Da Minot from Meghalaya, Dokodoko from Sikkim, Mangka from Manipur along with Mohit Chauhan, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Joydeep Mukherjee, Goutam Das Baul and more. International talents like Ary Juliyant, Guy Buttery, Puuluup from Indonesia, South Africa, and France also find a space in the festival.
From the USA to France, from Sweden to Australia; from Arunachal Pradesh to Rajasthan and Delhi to Tamil Nadu, the Ziro Festival has brought together everyone through their shared love for music. As the eleventh edition is knocking on the door, we speak to Anup Kutty about what to expect, how the festival has evolved, and more.
Excerpts:
What can we expect from the Ziro Festival in September this year?
Like every year, this year will also see artists from across genres like Indian classical, jazz, folk, and rock. Our whole programming vision is to curate a mix of emerging talent along with established names to allow our audience to discover new music as well as reconnect to familiar ones.
Did you envision the festival to become such a crowd-puller when you founded it?
To be honest, we always thought it would be a small gathering of music lovers and friends of friends.
How has it over the years become a community-based Festival?
At Ziro Festival, we have a community-first approach wherein attendees who come from diverse backgrounds look after one another. As organisers, we only set up the infrastructure and the rest is up to the artists and the attendees.
With music itself evolving over the years, how have you seen the Festival evolve since its inception?
Yes, in the beginning, it was mostly rock and folk music. Over the years, we have started programming classical, jazz, hip hop and last year we added a new Live Electronica stage called Takar.
How do you ensure sustainability and eco-friendliness during the festival and throughout the year?
Sustainability and eco-friendly practices have been a part of Ziro Festival even before these became buzzwords. This happened mostly because these practices are deeply ingrained in the Apatani tribal culture. We are simply carrying forward some of those traditions and hoping our community of attendees get inspired to be more conscious.
What would you say is the contribution of the Festival in educating people about Arunachal Pradesh and promoting tourism?
Ziro Festival is currently one of the largest tourist drawing events in the state and this has led to a huge cultural exchange between the state and the rest of the world. Ziro is not just a small town. It has a global presence and we are happy to have played a small part in this. It is also heartening to see that a different imagery of India is being promoted worldwide than the usual cliches of Bollywood.
In terms of music, what trends are picking up in Arunachal Pradesh?
There are more musicians singing in local dialects and releasing songs. There is also a shift towards folk fusion with some musicians mixing jazz and traditional art forms.
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What tips would you give to a first-time visitor to the festival?
Respect nature and look after one another.
This year the Ziro Festival is going to be held from September 26- 29, 2024 and tickets can be booked on their official website.