A galaxy of stars, music fans and party-goers descended upon the picturesque venue of Sula Vineyards in Nasik for SulaFest 2018 on February 3 and 4. With great music, selfie booths and goodie shops to go with abundant wine, it was one happy picture that left revellers asking for more. Kiwistar, Run Pussy Run, 8 Bit Culprit, Grain, Gypsy Hill, Parov Stelar, Crystal Fighters and The Beat featuring Ranking Roger were some of the artistes that played their sets at the Amphi and Atma stages. It all culminated into the finale with Bollywood singer-songwriter Amit Trivedi and beatboxing veterans Bauchklang bringing down the curtains.
Music lovers sang along and danced while they listened to their favourite musicians play. Those curious enough to get a sneak peek into where their favourite Sula wine comes from, a tour of the entire vineyard was on the itinerary with a dash of wine stomping, wine tasting and a look into the manufacturing and storage intricacies.
However, even for the curious wine drinkers, taking a look around the massive Sula Vineyards couldn’t take precedence over one thing — savouring their favourite wine and grooving to the music of their favourite acts.
Snapshots of the top acts....
Shuffling around genres like jazz, funk and folk, Run Pussy Run wowed with songs like Ezhu Murai, Obito, Inertia Kills, Long Wait To Death, Abuse and Roaches. “It was lovely playing at SulaFest. Independent music festivals are a blessing, and we need them so the youth stay sane,” said Gowri Jayakumar of Run Pussy Run from Pune.
Calcutta’s very own 8 BIT CULPRIT, now based out of Bangalore, was one big hit on Day 1 at the Atma Stage. The crowd couldn’t get enough of his music as they jumped and jived to tracks like the recently-released Genesis and previews from his upcoming EP Exodus.
Gypsy Hill from London were the perfect blend of Gypsy, Balkan and Swing as two guitars and two horns played amazing melodies in unison. The band, all the way from London, but with members from across the globe, urged the crowd to get on their feet and dance. “We haven’t come here from so far to watch you sit around. Get up and start dancing,” said Herbert Newbert of the band.
Accompanied by a band of skilled musicians, Amit Trivedi sang songs like Nayan tarse, Ikk kudi, Pareshaan, Iktaara, Shaam bhi koi, Ud-daa Punjab, Pardesi, and Emotional atyachar. Jai Row Kavi on drums was as tight as could be, while guitarist Rhythm Shaw played a soothing acoustic solo for the intro of Shaam bhi koi. “This is one of the most happening fests that I have been to, and I hope to be back here sometime soon with my own band. The crowd is just super-receptive and it’s amazing to play here,” said Shaw.
Bauchklang from Austria were the closing act of SulaFest 2018, and not without reason. The beatboxing veterans know how to get the crowd going and it’s all without instruments. They played songs like Rhythm Of Time, Create, Berging, Signs, Enjoy The Risk, Money Machine and Change. Melodious and groovy at the same time, what blew people away was that it was all done vocally. Anybody looking away from the stage could be tricked into believing that it was a complete set of instruments playing.
The Beat featuring Ranking Roger (from the UK) played a funky and groovy set. The highlight of their evening was a track called Fire Burn, urging the crowd to always take a stand for what’s right, with a message to world leaders that “wars need to stop because it’s people who end up suffering”. “Playing here in India was a wonderful experience and we appreciate the love and warmth we received from the crowd. We hope to be back bigger and louder,” said Ranking Roger.
Parov Stelar from Austria were the absolute highlight of Day 1. Their music, a blend of electronica, jazz and swing played with funky grooves, made perfect use of ambient sounds, wove around the horn melodies. The crowd favourite was The Ride; even the bartenders and bouncers on duty were seen shaking a leg to their tunes.
Text: Nikhil Sen
