The 13th edition of the Ziro Festival of Music will bring more than 40 artists from India and abroad to Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley from September 24 to 27, organisers said.The four-day festival will feature musicians from Northeast India, different parts of the country and several international destinations, including Algeria, Thailand, Palestine, Switzerland, South Africa, South Korea, Nepal, Ireland, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The Indian lineup includes Sukhbir, Sneha Khanwalkar, Midival Punditz, Shakthisree Gopalan, Shanka Tribe and Parikrama. The Northeast will be represented by artists and groups such as Tripura’s Sukesh Suklabadya, Manipur’s Chingleipak Collective and Yelhomie, Sikkim’s Tribal Rain, Nagaland’s Temsu Clover, Mizoram’s Mood Station, Assam’s Novo and Arunachal Pradesh’s David Angu.
Other Indian performers include Bihari rapper Shikriwal, Kaali Duniya, Karan Kanchan and Swara Oza, along with classical musicians Sarwar Hussain and violinist Apoorv Krishna.The international lineup includes Sri Lankan singer Yohani, Algeria’s Fati Teniri, Palestinian-French producer Isam Elias, Nepal’s Phosphenes, Thailand’s GYMV, the Philippines’ Talahib and South Korean act Moher. For the first time, the festival will introduce ‘Cosmos’, an informal space designed for spontaneous jam sessions, artist interactions and unscripted performances. The festival will also host the final chapter of ‘Circuit Mixers’, an international exchange supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. The programme will feature electronic artists Zequenx from India, Naledi Chai from South Africa, and Switzerland’s Lua Jungck and Owelle, following earlier residencies in Johannesburg and Montreux.
Irish folk band Saltaire will take part in a cultural residency involving workshops and collaborations with local musicians. Supported by Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi, the partnership marks the festival’s first collaboration with Ireland. The programme will also highlight the cultural traditions of the host Apatani community through the traditional Daminda harvest dance, a presentation by the Apatani Women’s Association Ziro and workshops on traditional crafts, including paddy flute, or Elu, making and pottery. Ziro Festival of Music co-founder and director Bobby Hano said discovery and cross-cultural exchange remain central to the festival’s objective.
