From Our Correspondent
TURA, Nov 30: The biggest music platform in the Garo Hills region, the two-day Me’Gong Festival, got off to a thunderous start at Baljek Airport near Jengjal, West Garo Hills. The fourth edition was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, flanked by ambassadors from Uzbekistan, El Salvador and Jamaica, in front of a packed audience.
The event, organised annually by the Department of Tourism, promotes local music and culture while attracting a global audience. This is the first year that tickets are being sold with the previous three editions completely free to anyone that wanted to see the stars up close and personal.
The opening night began with the all-women band from Garo Hills, Haystack Ladies warming the crowd to music, and playing covers of various international bands.
Following on their act, local Garo group, Da Suraka, continued to build on the momentum by playing their most popular songs to a rapturous crowd.
Incidentally, the crowd continued to build through the evening with not a soul moving from the place until after the evening’s proceedings were over.
The energy escalated with Bollywood singer Gajendra Verma (of Emptiness and Tera Ghata fame), who performed over ten songs, including some from his upcoming album. Scenes of people from the crowd dancing and singing along with popular Bollywood numbers as well as international hits sung by Verma, were the common occurrence.
After Verma’s act, the festival was formally opened by the tourism minister along with the Ambassador of Uzbekistan Sardor Mirzayusupovich Rustambaev, Ambassador of El Salvador Guillermo Rubio Funes, Ambassador of Jamaica Jason K M Hall, and host of dignitaries and officers of various departments being part.
On the sidelines, business was brisk in all the shops that have been set up for the two-day mega event. With drinks and food available for those who could afford, it was a heady mix of song and dance that continued well into the early morning.
The highlight of the night was Dr Palash Sen’s Euphoria, who took listeners back to yesteryears with their soulful rendition of Dhoom Pichuk Dhoom, Maeri among others.
The band mostly played songs from their own albums while showcasing their versatility by also playing international hits.
The last act of the day was former actor Udita Goswami taking on a different avatar as a DJ. Goswami played out popular hits that were lapped up by an audience that kept asking for more.
Me’gong Festival has been a crowd-puller over the past few years with record footfalls. In 2022, when the festival hosted two popular international bands, namely MLTR and Big Mountain, more than 2.6 lakh people were in attendance while over three lakh people came to see last year’s show that was headlined by Vengaboys and Bollywood sensation Arman Mallik.
This year, too, the event is expected to draw similar numbers with Swedish rock band, Europe, coming to blow people’s breath away with their extremely popular numbers on day two of the festival.
Apart from this, this year’s festival with the theme titled ‘Echoes of Tradition’ will showcase the rich and vibrant culture of the Garo tribe. Traditional dance forms, local brew, Garo cuisines, traditional sports, the Garo way of life and many other such interesting and engrossing aspects will also be on display in the festival.
Other added attractions of the festival are Garo Handloom and Handicraft, a traditional Garo Culinary Showcase, a cooking demonstration, a Brew Village, an Eating contest, a Model Garo Village, an Activity Zone, a Camping Zone, a Stall arena, Light and laser shows.
This year’s edition will take Garo Hills closer to the rest of the country and the world, with visitors being able to explore this hidden paradise tucked in this beautiful state of Meghalaya.