The festival setting at Halflong, a scenic hill station | Photo: Courtesy: BiG BANG
A festival rooted in love, community and preserving local traditions will take place on October 26 and 27 in a 500-year-old village with just 28 households. The Big BANG! The festival of love is back after a gap of three years, this time in Nandisa, Assam. It celebrates the richness of India’s roots while using music as a tool to connect with a wider audience.
Reggae artist Delhi Sultanat by BFR Sound System | Photo: Courtesy: BiG BANG
Founded by musician and activist Daniel Langthasa and local chef Avantika Roohi Haflongbar in 2016, the festival aims to serve as a platform to highlight local economies, local knowledge and sustainable living. “BiG BANG Festival was born out of a deep love for our land and people and to reconnect with what is truly important. It’s about slowing down, appreciating nature and understanding that our traditional ways of life have immense value, while addressing the realities of the modern world,” explains Daniel, co-founder.
Festival founders Daniel Langthasa and Avantika Roohi | Photo: Courtesy: BiG BANG
The theme for the 2024 edition, The Village is the Future, comes from the realization that the answers to many of today’s challenges lie in the way our villages functioned before industrialization and consumerism took over.
Numerous activities are planned to allow people to experience the practical knowledge that villagers live by every day.
The earlier editions of the BiG BANG festival were held at various locations like Haflong, Diffu and Hojai in Assam. The revival of the festival was made possible by an app made by reggae artist Delhi Sultanate by BFR Sound System presenting the festival for the Studio Monkey Shoulder initiative via Worldwide FM. “Roots music has the potential to make you feel what no popular music genre can, and this setup is perfect. I hope it will give a rich context to one of the core messages of reggae music – that of cultural resilience, unity, love and reverence for the earth,” says Delhi Sultanate.
Tipriti Kharbangar will play a live acoustic set of khasi blues and folk | Photo: Courtesy: BiG BANG
Trombonist and trumpeter Chie Nishikori will join forces with BFR Sound System, as will Mumbai-based rapper-activist MC Mawali and reggae producer DJ Ras ManMan. Tipriti Kharbangar will play a live acoustic set of khasi blues and folk. The lineup also includes Ahimxa, a cult grunge band hailing from Haflong, and Daniel with his band Digital Suixide.
“The workshops, educational programs and projects we work on are designed to have a lasting impact on rural youth long after the festival is over.
Published – October 22, 2024, 3:47 PM IST
