Started in 2014, PhotoSpark is a weekly feature from your story With photos that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the previous 825 posts, we featured one art festival, Cartoon Gallery. World Music Festival, Telecom Expo, millet fair, Climate Change Expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, diwali rangoli, and Jazz Festival.
Bengaluru headlined the 2024 edition of the Echoes of Earth Festival Symphony of Seasons. Held recently at the Embassy International Riding School, the festival featured a diverse range of electronic music along with art installations for environmental awareness (see our articles on previous Bengaluru and Goa editions of the festival).
“In 2016, we were bold in what we wanted to create here in Bangalore – a music festival that celebrated alternative music genres, featuring incredible yet emerging artists from around the world. We envisioned a space where music, culture and sustainability could come together, inclusive of all. can create an atmosphere,” says Roshan Netalkar, festival director of Echoes of Earth and managing director of Swordfish Events and Entertainment. your story.
“Fast forward to 2024, and it’s humbling to see how far we’ve come, made possible by a passionate community that believes in this vision—over 40 global artists, 30 stunning installations, and 25 amazing partners,” he adds proudly. .
The spectacular stage design was conceived by Siddharth Kararwal (Hornet Stage, Greater One-Horned Stage), Muzamil Sharif (Big Job Stage), and Gram Collective (Big Tree Stage). They provided stunning backdrops for the stage performers for the vivid contrasts from day to night.
“Between the annual editions of the festival, we engage with communities through activities such as educational workshops. This year, the workshops themselves were tied to the season, with nature walks in cities,” adds Netalkar.
The vast grounds of the festival were filled with a range of installations themed around nature and its seasons. Featured artists included Arwani Art Project (Wild Yak), Bheem Sticks (Egyptian Vulture), Alt-Native (Jeweled Flower Mantis), Yadhunandan N (Indian Wild Boar), and Amitha (Pharaoh Cuttlefish).
The festival was especially welcoming to families, pets and children with educational workshops and places to sleep or sleep. There were ukulele and darbuka workshops, and a kids corner and jam sessions by Kadence Experience.
Spanning about eight hours each day over the weekend, bands from eight countries performed on multiple stages. Organizers said there were 25 flea market exhibitors and 120 volunteers at the festival.
Several artists shared insights into their creative process, special acts for the festival, explanations of success, tips for aspiring artists, the role of music education, and the rise of GenAI and its impact on the music industry.
“There are many excellent music schools in India now which were not there before. Here, students meet other budding producers and learn about different genres,” observes Hamza Rahimtula.
He says that attention should also be paid to teaching children the business of music. “I think music business courses can empower future generations. They need to be aware of how the industry works and how money flows,” he added.
The Excise Department cautions collectively about the view that AI can replace human creativity. “We live in an age of extreme death, carnage, stupidity and irony. AI is only a shallow, superficial source of new entertainment,” he explains.
Shubh Saran, who fuses progressive rock with classical Indian music, describes how artists create and perform based on their life experiences and reflections. “In times of turmoil, we raise awareness and create collective empathy by taking risks and creating authentic artwork,” he explains.
Tarun Nair of Plant Biology affirms that music can bring us back to ourselves and the present moment. “Music can create an essential connection between us humans and all other creatures,” he observes.
“More than ever, we need to feel this connection, not just talk about it. This can be especially through music,” Nair signed off.
what now you Done today to pause your busy schedule and use your creative side for a better world?
(All photos taken on location by Madanmohan Rao at Echoes of Earth 2024.)