Escape to a musical funtasy

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Three days of musical sojourn, away from the frantic pace of hectic city life. Set against the backdrop of a magical nine-cornered lake at Naukuchiatal, offering two distinct musical stages and a confluence of art with music, the Escape festival of art and music is back to offer respite to citywallahs.
The festival is scheduled from May 24-26. The highlight of this year’s festival will be the tribute to Gyan Singh, one of the country’s most respected bassists and a member of the iconic Kolkata-based band, Skinny Alley/Pink Noise. The festival will also feature Shamiana, Asia’s largest and fastest growing short film club and screen award-winning short films. Photographers, graffiti artists and painters from all over the country would also be a part of the festival.
“This year one can expect to see and hear some of the best Indie artists from India and abroad, experience live art in progress, relish the variety at the food court, immerse oneself in the screenings of award-winning documentaries and shop at the flea market,” says Lalrinawma Tochhawng, festival director, Escape Festival of Music and Arts.
He further adds, “The Magic Forest stage and the Soul Garden stage have been programmed and curated to appeal to two distinct audiences. The former is the high energy party stage with Electronica being its driving force appealing to the younger crowd, while the latter is more about soulful music appealing to a more mature audience.”
Thermal And A Quarter, also referred to as TAAQ, a Bengaluru-based rock band is all set to perform at the festival. Says Rajeev Rajagopal, the drummer with the band, “The Escape Festival comes at a very busy time for the band, preparing as we are for our biggest-ever international tour for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We’re likely to try out some of the special sets we’re thinking of performing on our tour, at the Escape Festival. We are also experimenting quite a bit now with our three-piece line-up featuring new bass player Leslie Charles, who is also a good singer.”
The ambience of the festival is perfect for creating new music and experimenting. “The whole vibe of the Escape Festival is so great — a hideaway in the hills, lots of great musicians around — what better place to experiment and try new things! It is important because it enables us to deflect attention from the usual business of work deadlines. Apart from new songs from our upcoming album, we are introducing a song inspired by R.D. Burman type arrangements, with ska and punk,” says Raghav Dang, guitarist, Ska Vengers. The musical line-up includes the likes of Alobo Naga & The Band, Faridkot, Blackstratblues, Shantanu Pandit, Toshanbor Singh Nongbet, Tadayan, Tarqeeb and Shantam.
Apart from music, the festival is also the medium of expression of many artists, who are experimental, self-taught and do not follow a distinct style. “I have never really learnt painting but love capturing my surroundings and people I meet on daily basis on canvas. Even contemporary global issues and geo-politics appeal to me. To get a creative vent and to put across my thoughts in front of like-minded people draws me towards the festival,” says artist Pallavi Rajkhowa.
The festival will also screen short films like Asad, Death of the Shadow and Curfew, that have either been nominated or won an award at the Oscars.