The Ziro festival, founded in 2012, showcases the Indian and global independent music scene while promoting indigenous tribes from Northeast India who are employed to host attendees.
The hugely successful festival, which has gained a reputation among music lovers, is set to begin its 10th edition on 28th September 2023.
This eco-friendly music festival in the scenic Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh which follows sustainability, is truly one of a kind.
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Huge range of music at the festival
The music festival has two stages with over 40 bands and music acts performing. The music ranges from folk and classical to electronica, pop, jazz, rock, rap and blues.
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While the Danyi Stage caters to folk, classical, jazz and singer-songwriters, the Pwlo stage caters to independent rock and pop.
Today, the music festival is attended by many. But for its founders, Bobby Hano and Anup Kutty, this was not an easy feat.
Difficulties during first Ziro festival in 2012
Hano was doing gigs with Itanagar as his base when Anup Kutty, guitarist with Menwhopause, came touring the Northeast in 2011.
Due to a 48-hour curfew beginning in Itanagar starting the next morning, the concert had to be postponed, and instead, a getaway was planned to Ziro, about 100 km from the capital, Itanagar.
Kutty realised it would be a great place to host musical events, and the seed
was planted therein.
Finally, a vast tract of land in Ziro was zeroed in for the festival. Interestingly, this once served as the burial ground for the Apatani tribe, and the team would often find skeletal remains while digging to erect edifices for the festival.
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Many materials for the festival’s production had to be brought from Guwahati.
The bands which had agreed to perform in the first festival in 2012 recollect spending 21 hours on the road. The venue, too, was muddied – as it had been raining non-stop for weeks.
“Once the music started, it was all sorted,” says Hano, as quoted by The Frontline. “That first year was emotional for me. I am Apatani, but I spent my formative years in boarding schools. I had never done anything in Ziro before … my hometown. Now, this had begun.”
Support to the local community & sustainable
Today, there are roads. The network is bad. Both at least are existent – which wasn’t the case in 2012.
And over the years, the organisers have scaled up gradually and have managed to make the Ziro Valley music festival have a reputation among music lovers.
The festival also supports the local community.
For instance, bamboo is procured from the local bamboo plantations. Also, local community members are employed to host attendees, prioritising sustainability practices.
Further, the festival’s skills training programs have empowered community members to be actively involved in producing the festival and employing local artisans to build the bamboo infrastructure.
The festival also engages artists, artisans, and local youth groups through community outreach programs.
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Additionally, it encourages sustainability practices, including the zero-plastic policy and waste reduction measures such as composting.
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