March'ing to the indie beats

Bringing together some of the biggest national and international acts on a single platform is Counter Culture with Indie March – a two-day musical festival that promises to offer something for everyone. With genres spanning rock, jazz, Indian classical and even EDM, the event is a kaleidoscope of some of the world’s most talented independent musicians. “The aim is to give indie musicians a platform to showcase their talents.

This took birth as a way of promoting the newer breed of musicians and artistes. And I always say, Indie March has no boundaries. We’d like to see everyone from a classical singer to an EDM producer on our stage,” begins Vishwaraj Mohan of CounterCulture.

EDM buffs will be spoilt for choice with international acts like Wes Smith from America, Onra from France, and Gaudi from England, some of whom are not just debuting in India but in Asia. Also in the mix are popular Indian outfits like Bengaluru’s very own Sulk Station, All The Fat Children, Parvaaz, Diarchy and Agam, apart from outstation bands like The F16s (Chennai), Skrat (Chennai), Pangea (Mumbai), aswekeepsearching (Ahmedabad)and Teddy Boy Kill (Delhi).  
The performance of The Manganiyar Seduction put together by theatre artiste Royston Abel is one to look forward to. Touted as an audio-visual spectacle, the show will see musicians from the Manganiyar community of Rajasthan putting their best foot forward.

Taking inspiration from the red light district of Amsterdam, the musicians are seated in small cubicles stacked one above the other. Each cubicle lights up every time it’s the turn of the musician seated in it to play his part. Having garnered a lot of fans and accolades across the globe, this one is definitely one of the highlights.

“This is the 10th year of Manganiyar Seduction and that’s what makes this performance special for us. We’ve enjoyed performing all over the world, at much bigger festivals, but Bengaluru is a city that’s close to my heart and we love performing here,” shares Abel.

And while the line-up of artistes is reason enough to make your way to the festival, the venue (Moon Gate Events) is also a drawing factor, according to organisers. Located in Chikkajala on the outskirts of the city, the property boasts a lake, open green spaces and beautiful landscaped gardens that form the perfect backdrop.