The Earth Spirituality Ashram in Bengaluru is where all music buffs of the country will be spotted on February 19. A day long festival with lots of food, music and art for the creative lot, will be held under a banyan tree.
“The festival was called the Bhoomi Jathre earlier. The diversity of music genres and the line up of the artistes is what sets the festival apart from other music festivals,” says Akshath Jitendranath, an organiser. This cultural experience will showcase musicians from across various platforms. “You do not get to listen to a diverse artiste every day,” adds Akshath.
The artistes to watch out for this time are Filter Coffee, Agam, Vaiyali, La Pongal, Safia Gharbi, Shabnam Virmani, Something Relevant, OTO3, Om Viloma featuring Amit Heri and Talavya. Many are looking out for Something Relevant. Meghna Rao, a scientific communication executive says, “Last year, Something Relevant from Mumbai was the cherry on the top. They offer some very interactive music. Apart from the joys of enjoying an all-night festival, the best part was the long drive to the ashram that we cherish.”
Agam, a Bengaluru-based band is also something many are looking forward to. Arjun Rao, a software engineer says, “Agam is one of the most renowned local bands and this is something I definitely want to catch.”
For the very first time, the festival is bringing in a musician from France, Safia Gharbi. Vedika Kuttanda, a student says, “I am really looking forward to Safia’s performance and La Pongal, the band from Chennai.”
Musicians today try different and exclusive beats. Shriram Sampath, founder-member of the band Filter Coffee says, “We have been experimenting with new forms of music. Indian classical needs a dash of electronica. Rajasthani, Tamil songs, folk tunes from all around the world will be showcased with a twist. We add colour to these tunes.”
Many are saddened about the festival not being an all nighter this time. Vedika says, “I usually look forward to this festival because of the exclusivity of its all night tag. Sadly this time, it is a 12-hour day festival.”
Ananda Siddhartha, an organiser says, “You cannot pigeonhole people who come to this festival. It is a celebration of diversity and the range of people who attend the festival prove this.”