The long stretch of the pandemic which left us locked in our houses was a period of
restlessness. Other than the lockdown, the social, economic and political turmoil during this
period added extra tension in the lives of already apathetic people. Many major annual events
and festivals had to be cancelled which acted as a stress buster. After two lockdowns, when the
COVID situation in India finally became controllable, the people could finally move to their
normal lives. It was like a blood clot which was finally removed so the blood could reach every
part of the body for it to function properly. But even though the lives of the commoners were
back on track, something was still missing. After all the energy spent and saved during the
lockdown, people still had no clue where or how they could forget everything about the world
and just live in the moment even if for a short period. Enters 2022, and NH7 Weekender was
announced. Most of us have been to the Weekender at least once. We all have our reasons to
return to the same, and so we did.
The two day festival had twenty four artists/ bands along with some of the best people from the
stand- up scene from the country such as Anu Menon, Azeem Banatwalla, Urooj Ashfaq and
Varun Thakur, a Gaming Lounge that had games ranging from Ludo to Fifa and CS:Go.
Now, a disclaimer is needed. I had my own grievances with the roster. For a person who spent
most of his life listening to everything from soft rock to extreme metal genres, it certainly hurts to
find everything but a metal act. This led me to act like an irritating, ignorant, presumptuous
spoiled child. But what is life, if it doesn’t smack you in the face while you are having a wild ride
on your biases. And let me tell you, it was a hard one, the kind that brings back the pinching
warm agony whenever I think about it. It reminded me of why I love music. The melodies, the
beats, the poetry in combination makes one feel the calmness of the ocean and wrath of a
storm at the same time. Due to my ignorance in general, most of the artists on board, I had
never heard of. And damn it feels good to hear them all for the first time, live. There couldn’t be
anything better. So here’s a list of a few artists who can be accredited to change a biassed,
pompous fool to a more accepting human being.
1. Madboy/ Mink
Imaad Shah from Dil Dosti etc., M-Cream, The Empire and Saba Azad from Dil Kabaddi,
Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Rocket Boys form the dynamic duo of Madboy and
Mink. While Mink becomes the voice, the storyteller, the one on the driving seat, brings
all the goodness of a bygone era when it was all about the disco, Madboy, imbued in his
own name, makes sure no one stops grooving, moving or dancing, with a laptop, few
gizmos and of course a guitar. With songs like Sharabi, Lemonade and Fire in the
Streets they hook you in and once they are off stage, they leave you begging for more
2. Taba Chake
The Mumbai based, Nyishi guitarist, singer- songwriter came out as a breeze of fresh air.
The man’s silky smooth voice would make its way to your heart and put you in ecstatic
trance. The mere simplicity of the music will keep you engrossed and his lyrics in
multiple languages like Nyishi, Assamese, Hindi, English and Nepali leaves one
astonished about how talented a person can be. Taba leaves you with a wholesome
experience, probably makes you a tad bit more empathetic and connects you with your
surroundings. Taba is one artist who is a must- listen for everyone. For the lazy ignorant
pricks like me, try listening to his tracks, such as Shayad, In Wadiyon Mein and My Other
Side and you’ll see what you’ve been missing
3. Kayan
Have you ever wondered how India has never had a massive popstar? Well it won’t take
long. Kayan is a DJ, singer, song- writer and let’s add the most important criteria to be a
pop star- a performer. Her songs are inspired by her life events which gives the music a
sense of honesty. It would be a surprise, if in an age of social media she hasn’t reached
some section of the young audience. But if you don’t know her yet, do not worry my
friend, you will soon.
4. T.ill Apes
They are aggressive and hard-hitting yet chilled out (as they’d like to describe it)
Hip-Hop, Neo -funk, Soul band from Bengaluru. With a rapper, a bassist who is also a
keyboardist and vocalist, a drummer, another keyboardist, a guitarist/ music producer
and a SAXOPHONIST, YES! THEY HAVE A SAXOPHONIST, they don’t just make you
move, they energise you to a point where nothing but jumping is the only option.
5. Prateek Kuhad
The guy needs no introduction. He is a singer- songwriter with one of the most
recognisable voices in the country. With songs like Kasoor, Dil Beparvah, Cold/Mess and
Kahan Ho Tum he is one of the people who have been reported to have featured in
Obama’s personal playlist. Driving his influences heavily from the likes of Elliot Smith
and Bob Dylan as well as Bollywood and Lucky Ali. He headlined the first day which was
exactly what the people needed, a soulful performance that would leave you with mixed
emotions of fulfilment and melancholia
6. Lifafa
Suryakant Shawney, the man behind the console is a singer and songwriter is one
person who must never be categorised into anything. The guy is an artist, nothing more,
nothing less. His earlier influences revolved around Jazz and European music, but the
inception of Lifafa happened when he came across electronic music. Lifafa is arguably the most unique outfit that doesn’t just make you just dance but feeds your soul too. He
performed songs like Nikamma, Din- Raat which are down right infectious. You hear it
once and now you are hooked.
7. The Yellow Diary
Has it ever happened to you that you heard a song somewhere, probably liked it, but
never really dug deeper about the artists? And after a few years you go to NH7
Weekender, and find them just to get blown away by their sheer musicality and
performance. This is exactly what The Yellow Diaries did to me. Rajan Batra with his
lyricism impeccable vocal performance keeps you engrossed and makes you introspect.
Himanshu Parikh on keyboards and backing vocals is the man behind the soundscape,
Vaibhav Pani on guitar makes leaves one baffled with his skills while Sahil Shah on
drums and Stuart Dacosta on bass keep it groovy. Songs like Marz, Kashmir and
Buniyaad refuse to leave your brains and are capable of repeating themselves in your
mind weeks after you’ve heard them. The Yellow Diary is Indian Rock in its truest form.
8. Raja Kumari
She came and she conquered, no wonder why she is known as the daughter of the king.
With the band and her faminine magnanimity, Raja Kumari was the real force to reckon
with. She brought with herself Gatam Deb on drums; Ramon Ibrahim on trombone; Jose
Neil Gomes on keyboard, flute and violin; and Nathan Thomas on bass which created a
sound so magnetic, that you are forced to move to the front irrespective of the barriers of
people that stood ahead of you. The show was indeed a once in a lifetime experience.
For those who missed it, need not worry as she has recorded the whole performance
and will soon be releasing it. The teaser/ trailer has already been released and you can
check it out on Youtube.
9. Ritviz
We are all aware of the behemoth that Ritviz has become ever since his first release
Udd Gaye. HIS unique style of merging Indian classical style melodies and rhythms with
electronic genres like EDM is what made us fall in love with his music. But wait.. What
happens when our favourite songs are performed along with Bombay Brass? The
answer is ‘Words of Vizdumb’. Ritviz’s first of its kind performance was another rare
experience. Our beloved tunes such as Udd Gaye, Liggi, Barso were all jazzed up by the
men with horns. It was a perfect bash to mark the end of the two day festival.
Well now that it’s all over and when I look back in retrospect, the biassed, ignorant prick has
become a subject of laughter and the newly found me has cherished memories of the two days,
as well as new music that I’ve been listening to since.
For those who missed this round of the musical bash, must not feel missed out. Although, you
did miss a lot. But as per the information provided by an insider, NH7 Weekender will return again this year itself in December. So keep your eyes on the prize. I did what made me happy
knowingly or unknowingly, that is a different matter. Did you?
