India is miles away from having its own Coachella or SXSW or Glastonbury. The closest we have and are ought to cherish is the NH7 Weekender that has been a constant presence on everyone’s annual live music list. This year the landscape just got bigger and, dare say, better.
The organizer Vijay Nair, CEO, Only Much Louder managed to woo a stunning array of musicians this year to New Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune. He might be smarting from the Jerry Seinfeld disaster but hell, he got the who’s who of independent music, both from India and abroad.
Flying Lotus at NH7 Delhi
Apart from the maestro A R Rahman the other big acts are Mexican acoustic guitar-playing sensation Rodrigo y Gabriela, Scottish post-rock heroes Mogwai, maverick producer Flying Lotus, British electro-pop artist SBTRKT’s DJ set, Australian folk duo Pierce Brothers and Edinburgh-based multi-instrumentalist composer and producer Joe Acheson’s Hidden Orchestra. And also among the unmissables is Amy Winehouse’s producer Mark Ronson, who is a bloody good musician, in his own right as well. My personal recommendation would be a DJ duo from Boston called Soul Clap. Their woozy high tempo sounds are gauranteed to knock your socks off.
Homegrown favourites Advaita, Chayan & Smiti, Begum, Parikrama, Spud In The Box, Hriday Gattani, Soulmate will once again show the depth of great alternative musical talent India continues to produce.
Mark Ronson at NH7 Delhi
The Delhi edition, which just got wrapped up, got a thumping response from the crowd. Nair said, ““This has been another incredible year for the festival in Delhi. I’m amazed to see it continue to evolve and connect with a wider audience each year. The vibe has been overwhelmingly positive and we are grateful for the unprecedented support from the state authorities, Delhi Police, the media and most of all to the thousands of fans who make it to the festival every year.”
The music was combined with incredible visuals at all five stages - BACARDI? Arena, The Dewarists, Moto Spotlight, Jack & Jones All Starr Jamm and Breezer Beat Camp.
SBTRKT at NH7 Delhi
Manish Seth, Director of Marketing, India & South-East Asia, Bacardi, the main sponsor, said, "The Delhi edition of BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender in all its glory, will be a benchmark of sorts for all the upcoming music festivals this year. Continuing with our Untameable spirit, we introduced an exclusive 7D Virtual experience, 'Bacardi Oculus', adding the notch of innovation to the whole experience for our fans.”
The Bacardi NH7 Weekender is happening in Pune (December 4-6) and Bengaluru (December 5-6)
 "Flying Lotus at NH7 Delhi")
