OUR BLOG

Amidst the colourful culture of India, thrives these scenic festivals, waiting to be explored! Unleash the vagabond in you.

India has a fair share of excellent music festivals, from the psychedelic scenes in the hills to the raves on the sands of Goa. Here are some of the best of all kinds of music you could hope to hear, presented through these music festivals in India you have likely never heard of.

The Indian Classical Music

The two most important traditions of Indian Classical music are the Hindustani music and the Carnatic Music. Hindustani music is mostly practised in the northern, eastern and the central regions, while Carnatic is practised in the peninsular region.

The best Indian classical concerts that shouldn’t be missed are:

1. Madras Music Season: It has been held each year in the mid of December and January in Chennai, from 1927. It is a great platform for young artists to display their talents in front of large audiences.
2. Tansen Music Festival: This is the biggest festival that is held in the month of December in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. It takes place near the Tomb of Tansen by the Academy of the Department of Culture, the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
3. Dover Lane Musical Festival: This is for those who love drama and music equally! Held in the months of December and January, in Kolkata, this festival attracts huge masses from all over the country!

Folk Music

This is a broad musical category because of India’s cultural diversity, and each of type of folk music delivers unique insight into the origin areas. They include Bhavagheethe, Bhangra, Bihu geeth, Chishti, Fakir, etc.

The famous music festivals that will make you truly admire Indian Folk music are:

1. Rajasthan International Folk Festival: It is held in Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur during the Sharad Purnima, that is the brightest full moon of the year in North India. Your experiences here will involve folksy performances-both music and dance, jazz night, early morning ragas and various interactive sessions.
2. World Sufi Spirit Festival: It happens in Nagpur and Jodhpur in the month of February.This upcoming festival in India is the largest gathering of all the Sufi artists and is the perfect showcase of the cultural heritage of Sufism.It will encompass concerts, qawwalis, lectures, workshops and more.

Indian Pop Music

The Indian Film Industry is well known for its music!It has a mix of Indian classical music and western music, giving rise to a new genre, with the huge audience! Traditionally, in Indian Cinemas, the songs are sung by professional playback singers, they are melodious and soulful!

These are the bands that every music lover must follow!

1. The Raghu Dixit Project (Contemporary Indian Folk)
2. Thermal and a Quarter
3. Soulmate!

Rock and Metal music

Raga rock is rock or pop music with heavy Indian influence, either in its construction, timbre, or the instruments used, like the tabla or sitar. The “rock music scene” in India is small compared to the film or traditional music scene, but as of the recent years, it has gained huge followers, and many bands have gained popularity!

So, these are the bands for the rock music lovers:

1. Indian Ocean (Delhi)
2. Avial (Kerala)
3. Little Booshka’s Grind (Chennai)
4. Nicotine (Indore)

Jazz and Blues

Jazz and Indian classical music share some similarities, they blend well, and this is what paved the way for its popularity in the country. Ravi Shankar, John Coltrane, John Mayer and John McLaughlin were some of the pioneers of the fusion of Jazz and Indian music.

The best Jazz and Blues Festivals are:

1. Mahindra Blues (Mumbai)
2. Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Fest (Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh)
3. Shillong Blues and Jazz (Shillong)

Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below!