Ziro Music Festival 2022: Kochi rock to Nepali pop, 4 days of delighting the senses

With friends, train journeys are always fun. Especially when you know you will be travelling with like-minded people to arguably one of the most sought-after outdoor music festivals in the country, it seldom falls short of being an experience.

A friend and I decided to hop on the Donyi Polo Express to Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh) on September 27, two days before the day Ziro Festival of Music (ZFM) 2022 was slated to begin. Our plan was simple: give the last-minute rush a miss and somewhat settle down before the four-day musical extravaganza began.

When we reached Guwahati Railway Station, it was 11 pm and the premises was abuzz with backpackers. While walking down the stairs from the footbridge that connected the platforms towards terminal 6, a glimpse of the gathering from above evoked some serious festival vibes in us and we joined the crowd that was waiting for the train to roll in amidst soothing strains of mellow guitar strums and occasional hums. The time was 11: 50 pm when the train pulled into the platform and in the next few minutes, we were seated in coach, B3; the first part of the journey to ZFM had begun.

All aboard the night train

Since train journey is one of the most convenient and preferred ways to commute to the festival, it’s not unusual to bump into musicians on board. Our coach had members of Sikkim’s funk rock band Salakhala and Kerala’s hard-rockers Motherjane — two bands which set the Pwlo (the evening stage) on fire on day one. Since I knew Karma Tenrab, the vocalist of Salakhala, from before, we got busy reminiscing about the “good ol’ days.”

“We were waiting for an opportunity to play at the festival and when it came our way, we lapped it up with both hands. Actually, the whole process began from one of my friend’s hotel — 100 Pines — in Gangtok (Sikkim). Two people, associated with ZFM, were staying there and my friend happened to introduce them to our music. One thing led to another, and here we are, en route to our maiden gig at ZFM,” said Tenrab.

Soon, Ajay George Joseph, the guitar player of Kochi-based Motherjane, joined the conversation. Joseph, who is part of the band’s new line-up, was excited about his debut performance at ZFM and couldn’t stop heaping praise on the overall music scene of the Northeast. “Coming here is so different from being in any other part of the country,” he exulted.

The next couple of hours went by discussing Motherjane’s new sound and their changed approach towards music-making, Salakhala’s packed gig calendar, the post-pandemic festival scenario and how it is slowly opening up, the continuing poor state of washrooms in the Indian trains, the “art” of coping with snoring during night journeys, so on and so forth. Soon, my eyelids got heavy and I called it a night. Lying on my berth, however, I couldn’t help thinking about the next four days and all the music that awaited us.

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At ZFM, music never sleeps

The screech of train halting woke me up. The commotion in the compartment suggested that we had reached our destination: Naharlagun. We picked our luggage and joined fellow commuters hurrying towards the exit. Shared-cabs are a convenient way to commute between Naharlagun and Ziro and, keeping the dilapidated roads in mind, it is advisable to choose SUVs and we did exactly that. Since the musicians were provided with vehicles by the organisers, after a brief cigarette and chai session, we bid adieu to each other and got into our respective vehicles for Ziro.

No point sugar-coating this: it was a back-breaking four-and-a-half-hour-long drive. Had it not been for the jokes cracked by our diver, Ninja (we named him that on the way), and some upbeat but obscure Bollywood remixes, the journey would have been truly gruelling.
There were still a good three hours left for the sun to set when we reached our destination: Hapoli. After dropping off our fellow passengers, we reached our campsite: Kite Manja.

Here, I would like to mention that the camping culture at ZFM is another reason why many look forward to the festival. Once the music gets over at the venue by 10 pm, it is these numerous campsites around the area that come alive with different genres — while some entertain their guests with live unplugged music, others stick to the “in-vogue” electronica. In short, music never sleeps at ZFM.

Soon, we were allotted our tent (no. 59) and after we freshened up, it was time to meet some familiar faces at the campsite. Kite Manja, one of the oldest campsites in the festival, has been hosting guests since 2014 and has rightfully earned a reputation for being one of the best at what they do.

“It’s not just about doing business at Ziro. We eagerly wait for the festival every year because we love music and the wide gamut of like-minded people we meet here every year. The last two years had been difficult, but here we are, back at what we love to do,” said Jnandeep Borgohain, one of the proprietors of the campsite. After a heartfelt, homely dinner followed by some easy-going-lucky songs played by some of the guests (including yours truly) around a bonfire, we called it a night.

The house of the bamboo

Unlike the previous editions of ZFM, this year was a completely “no-rain” affair. It came as a surprise to the regulars as the gumboots, which, until last ZFM’s edition, were one of the must-have items in one’s backpack, remained unpacked throughout the four days this year.
In terms of décor, nothing much changed this year at the venue. The trademark bamboo structures, handcrafted installations made from pine and oak wood, cute, little food stalls and kiosks serving food and the much sought-after local brew and bamboo dustbins installed at every two metres — the 2022 edition was very much in line with the festival’s eco-friendly and sustainable consciousness.

However, the introduction of recharge centres to top-up one’s wristband tickets in a bid to go cashless and the installation of water refill points across the venue to discourage the use of plastic bottles were the new additions to ZFM 2022.

“This year, we have worked with the Apatani Women Association for waste management. Though there hasn’t been an audit of how much waste was produced during the four days, the primary waste at the festival is all bio-degradable, compostable, recyclable and reusable,” informed Lubna Shaheen, programme director of the festival.

Day 1: Easy Wanderlings’ headline act

Keeping up with the festival’s tradition, the first day began with Daminda, a folk dance performed by the Apatani (tribal) women to welcome the guests and it also marked ZFM’s official opening. As the proceedings on the Danyii (the day stage) got underway, we positioned ourselves amidst the many to savour acts such as Afghan Duo, Lokodoria Mahajani Akhra and Anula Namshum, among others, on Day 1.

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“When we went up, the vibe was just amazing. Though there were not many people, but we enjoyed playing our set. Most of our numbers were traditional Afghan classical pieces and we played a completely new, unnamed instrumental number which we had kept especially for ZFM. The exchange of energy with the audience was something we will remember for quite some time,” said William Rees, one half of the Afghan Duo, the other half being Iran-based percussionist Sina Fakruddin.

It was Pune-based soul/pop, award-winning five-member ensemble, Easy Wanderlings, which took the cake on Day 1. With their soulful, breezy renditions such as Enjoy It While It Lasts, Enemy and Mayflower, the band fit the bill of the headline act of the day stage perfectly. With the sun slowly setting in the background, Easy Wanderlings’s ambient, folksy pop created a kind of serene atmosphere that soothed many nerves and set the mood for the evening.

Day 2: Dr DOPE, Yelli Yelli hold sway

If Day 1 belonged to Pune, on Day 2, the Danyii stage went to Dr Declan Opennheimer’s Polyphonic Experience (Dr DOPE). The Assam-based quartet took the audience on a Bob Dylan-ish ride with stopovers at Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker and the likes. With originals such as That’s The Way It Goes, O Hori O and Hiya Jole, this four-member ensemble, led by vocalist and guitar player David Baker, evoked vibes reminiscent of the ’60s Flower Power era.

“We are a comparatively new band and it’s a pleasure to represent Assam here at ZFM. I think our biggest strength is that our lyrics draws on the lessons learnt from life and I am glad people accepted our brand of music here,” said Baker, after the gig.

After Dr DOPE, it was time for French electro-pop duo Yelli Yelli to take to the stage. With their hybrid electro sound, accompanied by a distorted guitar, they managed to pull the listeners out of the ’60s and place them somewhere in an urban pub. They pumped in a lot of energy into the crowd and by the end of their extended set, people could be seen swaying by the front of the stage.

Day 3: A balladeer on song

The highlights of the third day at Danyii were Delhi-based Shantanu Pandit and Arunachal’s very own Nikom Riba. Singer-songwriter and former Run! It’s The Kid frontman, Pandit, was at his usual best with his bluegrass-driven, fluid yet subtle set, while Riba, with his trademark melodious, acoustic guitar-driven pieces, sung in local dialect, struck a chord with the audience.

It was Punjabi pop balladeer Rabbi Shergill’s acoustic set at the Danyii stage that comparatively pulled the maximum crowd to the day stage on Day 4. The veteran artiste was in his element when he crooned hits such as Tere Bin, Challa, Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun and Bandiya Tu, among others. Interacting with the crowd, Shergill rubbed on a lot of rock ‘n’ old energy on the gathering and the day stage almost erupted with his statements such as “What is the point of being a rock ‘n’ roll artiste, if you can’t embarrass your kids?”. Shergill’s set went well into the evening and left the crowd screaming for an encore.

Ziro Literary Festival and electric evening stage

While music engulfed thousands on all four days on the day stage, a few kilometers away from the venue at Saint Claret College (Ziro), discussions and deliberations on literature and workshops moulded young minds, pulling them towards the literary arts on the first two days of the ZFM.

“I was part of the storytelling workshop, along with Manipuri artistes Mangka. It was a different experience for I haven’t been part of such an initiative in the Northeast before. Interacting with the students of the college was fun and I was very impressed with their inquisitiveness and eagerness to learn,” said Rees, a doctorate in Arabic studies from SOAS University of London.

It was Salakhala and veteran Kochi rockers Motherjane that were the highlights at the Pwlo stage on Day 1. While Salakhala brought unadulterated energy from the everyday life of a commoner in the hills of Sikkim to stage, Motherjane stuck to its trademark Carnatic-driven rock, but with way more sting than before.

“The word salakhala means a range of different vegetables in one basket. That was a way of buying vegetables in Gangtok when we were growing up. The buyers wouldn’t select any vegetables on their own, instead they’d give some money to the seller and the latter would pass on a bucket full of different veggies to the buyer. That’s called salakhala,” explained Siddarth Gurung, the drummer of the band.

Motherjane, which headlined Day 1, belted new compositions such as Awoke and Clay Play and the rock-hungry audience couldn’t keep calm. Joseph’s fluid fingers on the fret and drummer John Thomas’ bludgeoning beats kind of revived the now-lost era of Indian power rock on Pwlo stage. Their set was tight and in-your-face.

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If Day 1 on the Pwlo stage was about rock, the second day was more about progressive music and spacey sounds. And leading the way was acclaimed ensemble, Peter Cat Recording Company. Frontman Suryakant, with his trademark eccentricity, performed hits such as Floated By, Happiness and Memory Box, among others, compelling the crowd to sway to its double-brass whammy — a clarinet and trumpet, and the whole, warm sound of a beautiful Epiphone Cutaway guitar. Their 45-minute set got the audience into a musical trance and that flag was kept flying by live electronic duo Sapta, which was next on stage. Formed by electro artiste Marti Bharath and drummer Tapas in 2007, the band has about seven albums to their name and with their raw energy, blew the audience off. Their well-thought-out, layered compositions and some sheer energy of Tapas on the drums made the Day 2 for us.

With artistes such as Pasha Bhai and veteran Bollywood rapper Baba Sehgal slated to perform on Day 3, we thought of giving the evening stage a miss, but it was Manipuri ensemble Mangka and Nagaland punk trio Street Stories that pulled us to the stage. The latter, in particular, was a bundle of energy and those who are acquainted with Street Stories’ sets would know how blunt they are on stage; their slapstick humour tickled the funny bones of the crowd throughout their set.

The last acts: Singing in the rain

The last day of the festival began with DokoDoko. The aggressive electro duo — Sikkim-based vocalist and songwriter Kritika and Silliguri-based producer Debo Sanyal — set the mood for the evening with their bass-heavy synth-driven compositions with focus on existentialism that edged towards hyperpop.

But it was the energetic rock sounds of Japanese/Greek duo Pinky Doodle Poodle that pulled people out of their comfort zone and glued them to the stage. George, the axeman of the band, pumped a lot of energy into the crowd, thanks to his exceptional guitar skills. Yuria, the vocalist and bass player of the band, with her neat and catchy basslines, provided some serious foundation for George to explore and held the band together for an eclectic performance at the evening stage. Their raw and brooding rock sound was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. Their sound was well complemented by Meghalaya-based progressive rockers Sky Level.

Nepali pop sensation Bipul Chettri and The Travelling band were entrusted with the headlining responsibilities on Day 4 and they did what they could to rise up to the occasion. Their mellow, lovelorn compositions, however, somewhat failed to continue with the energy imparted by Pinky Doodle Poodle and Sky Level. They were in the middle of their set when the rain gods decided to chip in and it drizzled for the first time in ZFM 2022.

Blame it on the exceptional local-brew or the sheer enthusiasm of the crowd, the rain failed to dent the enthusiasm of the gathering and they went on swaying till Bipul and his band crooned the last number of ZFM 2022. By the time the clock struck 10 pm, it was time for ZFM to bid adieu to its loyal followers, with a promise to be back next year.