India has its fair share of music festivals in almost every part of the country now. With genres ranging from country to folk to EDM to indie, a music lover could get his/her fix practically all through the year. But one gathering is considered particularly special to my recent home – the NH7 Weekender!
It’s the happiest festival to hit town! From its humble beginnings in the Oxford of the East merely six years ago, it has now hit over six cities and is still the most looked- forward-to event every year.
This year was no different. 54 artists, four stages and three days of madness. NH7 is a treat for the indie fans and is a great place to discover new bands and rock on to the older ones in full blast!
2015 saw some pretty cool international acts take over the stage. Also, Baba Sehgal “went to the gym” with an audience full of screamers and AR Rahman gave us a night to remember.
Here are the 6 best acts from this year!
Niladri Kumar
Creator of the instrument known only as the “Zitar” – a combination of an electric guitar and a sitar – Niladri Kumar’s performance can be summed up in one word – BREATHTAKING.
Armed with a red sitar that could give ANY guitarist a run for his freaking money, his skills are literally SUPERHUMAN. He is known for his collaborations with table maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, has over 15 albums to his name and is most popular for the sounds in the song Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from the 2008 teenage hit Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. His instrumental prowess just blew me away and gave me goosebumps all over!
Baba Sehgal
The ORIGINAL Indian rapper, Baba Sehgal took over the stage and how! You might know his recent YouTube channel which is the output for glorious originals such as “Going To The Gym” and “Chicken Fried Rice”, but over at NH7 he showed the crowd that he STILL owns it.
He came in prancing and dancing to his hit Dil Dhadke – but left with the crowd bouncing like a ping pong to Amma Dekh and Thanda Thanda Pani.
Kuch bhi bolo, Baba’s still got it!
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Two guitarists, one stage, no vocals – that is Rodrigo and Gabriela in a nutshell. This ultra gifted duo from Mexico are fluent in the acoustic senses and play nuevo flamenco, rock and heavy metal. The energy on stage was magnificent and honestly, I didn’t miss the vocals at all.
Intense sets, interspersed with all-round crazy dancing on the stage – the vibe at their performance was truly inspiring! These guys have played all over the world including The White House and have also worked with the music legend Hans Zimmer.
Soulmate
I am always on the lookout for new music to download on a regular basis, and festivals like NH7 are the perfect place to hear some great stuff. One such band was Soulmate, a jazz band from Shillong, whose lead singer Tripti Kharbangar’s voice is as powerful as Aretha Franklin’s!
Combined with Rudy Wallang – who is a blues guitarist – the band has been in the circuit since 2003. They have played all over India, Southeast Asia, Europe, The Middle East and USA. But all you need to know is that their music is fun and that they will feature at the top of your playlist!
Nucleya
He is HANDS DOWN one of the best producers and DJs in the business today and no one can make a crowd dance “like there is no tomorrow” than Nucleya! Co-founder of the early age Bandish Projekt, he is known for his big bass sounds and catchy folk/Hindi tunes.
He’s quite a star and has played alongside Diplo & Modeselektor – but he brought down the house with his latest album Bass Rani. Pumping and full of great visuals, no one can rock a concert like Nucleya can! Have you heard Bangla Bass yet?
AR Rahman
This man needs no introduction.
Armed with the musical skills of a God, AR Rahman took me back to the good ol’ days of Thiruda Thiruda, Dil Se and Saathiya. Playing his popular hits from his newer scores such as Tamasha and Rockstar, it was truly a night to remember. What with shimmering lights and a crowd that hummed along to every single word, a magical bond was truly formed.
The highlight for me was Chandralekha, a Tamil number from his early days. There’s a reason he’s a genius!
I personally cannot wait for the next edition to get down and dance with some more musicians!
Who were your favourites? Hit me up in the comments below!
(A massive EDM junkie and a Jedi Padewan, Radhika believes in taking life by the fork and knife every day. She has been a media woman for the last 10 years with a huge passion for video technology. While working in content management is her day avatar, nothing gets her foodie side going like a good spicy misal pav!)
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