SHILLONG: That Meghalaya could successfully host a major musical event without a hitch shows that the State and its people have come of age.
The two-day NH 7 Bacardi Weekender (Oct 23-24), a mega musical event has drawn the largest crowd by far and ended on a high with people already saying they look forward to the next one. Those who came, saw and enjoyed still cannot stop talking about it.
Social media is agog with the event as music enthusiasts posted pictures and comments. People from across the country and abroad landed at Bhoi Rymbong about an hour’s drive away from Shillong, right on the Shillong By-Pass. The Ri Bhoi District Sports Auditorium was just right for this event as it gave people enough space to move around and “do their own thing” when they are not poised in front of the stadium watching their favourite bands perform.
Bhaswati Khound Goswami who made a day trip from Guwahati on both days with her family says, “A personal favourite was the Raghu Dixit project. “Raghu’s unique combination of traditional Indian sounds mixed with western influences just won the crowd over with everyone joining in his Kannadigi songs.”
Papon now a part of the Bollywood music scene was ecstatic. Speaking to this correspondent he said the crowd was awesome and in this sort of electrified atmosphere singers brings out their best.
When Papon took the stage the surprise party was Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal who are in Shillong shooting for Rock On-2. As usual Papon was innovative with a lot of traditional music thrown in including the rhythmic beat of the jhummur, the tea tribe dance and devotional music.
Home grown bands Soul Mate and Lou Majaw belted out their brand and rocked the stage and the audience in their inimitable style. But from what we could gather the crowd just loved the reggae beats from ‘The Wailers’ on Day 1.
Day 2 saw Kailash Kher entertaining the crowd like never before. Kailasa’s show was the precursor to the grand finale when Megadeth took the stage by storm. The decibels went crazy and the crowd in a frenzy as they sang along or simply rocked to the beats.
NH 7 organiser Vijay Nair worked in tandem with local event manager Springboard Surprises led by Keith Wahlang, and they indeed sprang a surprise.
On Day 1 the show was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma who Vijay Nair while addressing the audience said this was one event where he did not have to bribe anyone to get permission to host the show, nor was there any hitch at the security level.
Speaking to this correspondent, Nair said, “I am touched by how well people have accepted us. For us it was a bonanza because there were more people than expected and everyone here is so well behaved and courteous. This is by far the biggest NH Festival I have experienced as a promoter.”
Every detail was attended to. The entry points were manned by NH 7 ushers who checked the wrist band which every person who purchased a ticket was given. Each person had to wear the wrist band and display it. Security was tight but smooth. There were no unnecessary hassles at the entry and exit points.
Parking which is often the biggest problem at any event was well manned by the local people who had been trained over the weeks. The venue was kept clean also by local women who swept the place at regular intervals. “This is a great example of how the local economy benefits from a show of this stature,” said a store owner from Jaintia Hills who sold locally made dishes.
The atmosphere was electric but there was goodwill around. A person who came in from Bangalore and was evidently taken aback by the scale of the event said, “This is the most eclectic crowd ever at a music festival. The people here are so evolved.” That says something about the home crowd and those form the neighbouring states as well who were here in droves.
For those who had turned up to see their favourite band Megadeth with Dave Mustaine their lead singer it was an unbelievable moment. They were simply mesmerised! The NH 7, 2015 grand finale saw them screaming, “Yeh dil mange more.”
