Andrea Wallang performs at Shillong Blues & Jazz Festival

Amid the pall of gloom, devastation, death and destruction inflicted by Nature on Meghalaya, Shillong woke up to a pleasant Saturday and gearing up for the first Blues & Jazz Festival where musicians from various parts of the country played their hearts out.

U Soso Tham Auditorium was decked up for the Shillong Blues & Jazz Festival where Shillong’s very own Lou Majaw and his friends opened the curtains.

Cello player Adiel Massar performs

There were 30 musicians from across the country singing about peace, hope and reconciliation, providing wholesome entertainment and bringing everyone together through the sound of music. The festival was organised by Imagenation with the support of the Meghalaya department of arts and culture and other sponsors.

Lou’s performance was followed by Guwahati’s three-piece band M-Trio, blues experimental band Fringes from Manipur, jazz pianist Ronojit Chaliha with cello player Adiel Massar, funk jazz and blues band 4th Element, Shillong-based Blues icon Rudy Wallang and Andrea, Parvati La Cantante from Delhi.

The curtains came down with Plan B’s jazz-pop, blues and country-rock compositions.

From the pack of assorted musicians, Rudy has come to be one of the foremost Blues guitar players/singer/songwriter in the country with a long musical history having been part of the country’s most well known blues rock acts, Great Society and Mojo.

Sarah of 4th Element performs at the event

Inspired by the roots and groove sounds of the Blues, Blues-Rock, Soul, Rock ‘’ Roll, Funk and R&B, Rudy had formed Soulmate in Shillong in October 2002. The band was dedicated to playing the Blues and spreading awareness about this genre of music.

Bringing Saturday’s event to life in typical Lou Majaw style, the ever-energetic and fascinating musician, said, “Music has no boundaries. My vision is to promote peace, harmony and brotherhood through my songs and music. We musicians treat our musical instruments as our arms and amenities to combat terrorism. This is our way of contributing towards peace as a musician.”

“I fail to understand the madness behind terrorism. My song Well well well speaks of my feelings when I see no sun on waking up in this world of terror. But life must go on,” Lou added.

Rudy Wallang performs at Shillong Blues & Jazz Festival. Pictures by UB Photos

Thrilled to be a part of the festival, and that too, on her maiden visit to Shillong, Delhi-based singer Parvati La Cantante, said, “We have never been in a town where music is so important. It is like the lifeblood of Shillong. The air is all about music, there is a rhythm in the air that I love. These musicians —Lou, AJ and Rudy — have hugely influenced my life. I have grown up listening to them. I have never imagined coming to Shillong as a musician. I feel really honoured to be invited to perform here.”

Talking about her performance, she said, “The set that we performed is a mix of all the songs that we enjoyed doing. There are influences of Jazz, R&B and little bit of side trance to make it a little peppy. We did not want to limit our scope to just guitar and vocals, so we have tried to broaden up our horizon with these additions.”

Fringes vocalist Haraba was excited with the initiative taken by Imagenation.

An artiste strums the guitar

Speaking about the nature of Blues, he said, “Through this form of music, we can express our life’s experience and feelings. This form of the music is all about storytelling of things happening in your surroundings. Such initiatives give platform and meaning to our band and culture.”

Besides the music, there was a food court with Indonesian, Chinese, Naga and authentic Khasi food and an art installation at the venue.

Summing up the event, Ian Khongmen of Imagenation, said, “The Shillong Blues & Jazz Festival is just a drop in the ocean of music. But it brings together extraordinary musicians who are committed to and have made this art form a way of life. They come in all shades and colours to collaborate and run in the same groove with their brethren from the Northeast.”

Lou Majaw entertains the audience

Khongmen said Blues & Jazz is an evolution of the music culture. “It is symbolic of our times and indeed breathes life into the music industry and still remains the foundation of a tradition that has evolved for many years.”

The festival’s aim was to drive local change, promote self-confidence, create economic value, generate positive thinking and encourage reconciliation through quality music. Above all, it seeks to spread the message of peace through music.

And peace is what Meghalaya has been in search of for the last many years especially in the militancy-ravaged Garo hills, which is also now convalescing from the irreparable losses on life and property inflicted by nature through unprecedented flash floods following torrential downpour.

In this wreckage, music is just a miniature but a meaningful part in the healing process.