Unlike during the previous years, the 2016 edition of the Hornbill music festival will see a different kind of ambience: additional events and competitions such as dance and beat-boxing.
With a new event management team “Little Fire production” led by its director Ate Kevichusa is all set to present the festival with a difference by involving the audience.
As a tribute to the Naga people’s love for music, the organizers will take the festival to Dimapur, at the DDSC stadium for the first three days. The rest of the days will be staged at Kohima, at the IG Stadium Hockey ground.
The organizers also plan to spread the event to other districts, in the future though.
Briefing media persons at the Dream Café in Kohima town Wednesday afternoon, Kevichusa informed that the first three days, i.e., December 1 to the 3rd, will be the Hornbill ‘Bollywood Dhamaka, a concert by famous Bollywood musicians KK and Kailash Kher.
December 2 will be the ‘Hornbill Music Night’, a concert of rock music performances by renowned band from Mizoram, Boomarang, and from Nagaland, the Incipit and Polar Lights. On December 3, local artists will perform before Kailash Kher takes the stage.
The Hornbill Music festival will be launched at Kohima on December 4, showcasing established Naga music groups.
December 5 will be the Hornbill Choral Competition, collaboration with the Nagaland Baptist Church Council and the ‘voice of hornbill’ competition.
The winner of the choral competition will receive a cash of Rs. 1.50 lakh, followed by Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 for the first and the second runner-up, in that order. Organizers said that 10 competitors are expected, including one from Mizoram.
December 6 will be the ‘Hornbill night at the musicals’ featuring the finest vocalists in Nagaland. It will feature songs from Superhit musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, Evita, and the Phantom of the Opera, among others.
A new addition to the festival, the India Beatbox championship, is attempting a break at the Limca Records for the maximum Beatboxers at one time. The India Beatbox championship will feature world champion Alem from France as the main judge who will also conduct a workshop at the Heritage Bungalow on December 6.
Founder of the India Beatbox Championship, Yanpvuo Kikon said 32 beatboxers were selected by a panel of judges comprising Cameron Aka MC Eucalips, finalist of American beatbox championship and CEO of beatbox without borders, Vineeth Vincent, an entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of beatboxing in India and Julius Mitchell, one of the best beatboxers in Sri Lanka.
The India Beatbox competition will have 28 competitors from outside the state and four from Nagaland.
On December 7, there will be a qualifying round for the India Beatbox championship, besides the Hornbill Rock contest starting off. Famous VJ, actor and musician Luke Kenny, veteran musician Uday Benegal of Indian rock pioneers Indus Creed (formerly Rock Machine) and sound engineer from Dimapur Atsung Jamir will judge the rock event.
December 8 will see the grand finale of the India Beatbox championship and the second qualifying round to the Honrbill Rock contest.
The Hornbill Dance competition and the final of the Hornbill Rock will be held on December 9. December 10 will witness Naj Cosplay ‘Winter Wonderland’ with India’s foremost cosplayer Niharika Patil. Other events include electronic dance music with Delhi2Dublin of Canada and India’s foremost trance music disc jockey, DJ Freeaatmah.
Twenty bands including four from Nagaland and the rest from the Assam, Kolkata, Siliguri, Bangalore, Pune, New Delhi, Darjeeling, Meghalaya, Mumbai, Gangtok and Mizoram will be competing in the Hornbill International Rock Contest.
Warming up the event, a little music village will be created where patrons will be entertained throughout the day and into the night. Musicians from the state and around the country will perform. From December 5, events at the festival will start at 12.30 pm.
The organizers have informed that over 40 pop-up restaurants and stalls for food, beverage, clothing, fashion, and art and craft will be set up at the music festival venue. A Karaoke competition will also flow along with it; audience can sing and win cash prizes.
The organizers said to make the event more family friendly.
The event management includes MTF director Gugs Chishi, event director Ate Kevichusa, event co-ordinator Mele Pucho, and Yanpvuo Kikon.
Our Correspondent
