Soundscapes of India brings regional indie acts to Delhi

When Abhijit Pohankar’s Global Varkari performed Marathi abhangs in Delhi, the keyboardist paused to explain the devotional form, the songs’ meanings and the ragas behind them.

The performance was part of Soundscapes of India, a three-day showcase organised by the Indian Performing Right Society and curated by MusiConnect India. Its third edition brought together musicians from Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Ladakh, Chennai, Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkata and elsewhere, spanning folk-rock, Carnatic jazz, fusion and Hindustani classical music.

The line-up included Purbayan Chatterjee, Anuradha Pal and Ravi Iyer, alongside acts including Arunachal Pradesh’s Dobom Doji Collective, Meghalaya’s Da-La-Riti, Chennai groups Jatayu and Tamil Jazz Collective, and Kolkata’s Folk Foundation. Indonesian guzheng player Ngartini Huang and Egyptian singer-keyboardist Noha Fekry also performed.

Music-industry talent scouts and international promoters attended the sets, assessing performers’ music, production and live presentation for possible festival bookings.

Dobom Doji said such festivals allow listeners to encounter an artiste from the crowd, even when they have not heard the music before.