If you need a break from all the Coldplay hype, Paddy Fields deserves a spot on your weekend itinerary. Described as India’s first ever folk and fusion music festival, the two-day event has a roster of the biggest names in regional music. Uniting artists from the north, west and east, the final line-up is a beautiful mix of classic folk and contemporary fusion: Papon, Colonial Cousins, Mame Khan, Gangadhar and Tulika, Chaar Yaar, Dhruv Voyage, The Nooran Sisters and Salim and Sulaiman.
We caught up with Papon who was all smiles about the great strides that folk music has taken. “It’s great that folk is being celebrated in a contemporary way, and I’m very glad to be a part of it since I’ve been in the forefront of trying to pull folk into the mainstream. I will be performing a mix of everything, some songs you might have heard, some will be sung with a twist and some, brand new,” he says.
His love for the genre dates all the way back to his childhood. “My father was Bihu Samrat (King of Assamese songs); I have grown up seeing him perform Bihu live and in recording studios. I spent most of my childhood in these spaces with my dad. All the songs he has sung are etched in my memory and remain close to my heart,” he reminisces.
He believes that exciting things are up ahead for the folk music scene in the country. “If we can excite the new generation about their roots and music, we’ll go a long way. Folk lives on, though it changes colour. What we are performing today might become folk 100 years from now!” he signs off.
Paddy Fields will be held on 15th and 16th October at Bombay Exhibition Center, Goregaon. Tickets available here.
