Kantha Hubba to bring myriad melodies to the city

“Kantha is the traditional art of patchwork quilting from Bengal; we choose it for this festival as it shows how different things can come together in unexpected, new ways,” says Abhijit Nath, curator of Kantha Hubba, the musical sub-festival of the BLR Hubba.

Abhijit says their vision is to make Kantha Hubba a premier world music festival with a focus on Asia. “The subtitle for Kantha Hubba is Sounds of Asia, and it is reflected in our lineup,” he adds.

Now in its second edition, Kantha Hubba will see artistes such as Tajdar Junaid, Sudan, The Down Troddence and others perform alongside the likes of Marty Friedman, long-time guitarist for Megadeth, Roysten Abel’s The Manganiyar Seduction and Pankh, a musical about life’s journey featuring Shantanu Moitra and Kaushiki Charaborty.

Marty, who relocated to Tokyo over 20 years ago, comes to Kantha with Japanese artistes he has been working with over there, says Abhijit, adding that is the Asian connect bringing him to the festival.

Marty Friedman
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Much like that patchwork quilt, the lineup this year is as eclectic as it is melodious. Talking about the curation of musical acts, Abhijit says, “Our priority was to get some familiar faces, so audiences would know who they were coming for, as well as those acts they would find unexpected and interesting.”

He says two interesting acts to look out for are Echoes of Shakti, a fusion band formed as tribute to the original Shakti established in 1973. “Four youngsters — one from New York and three from India, have been endorsed by original members of the troupe who believe the torch must be carried forward following the passing of Zakir Hussain.”

The other ensemble to catch is the Freak Audio Lab comprising artistes from Sweden, Israel, the United States and India, which includes mridangist BC Manjunath and Mattias Ia Eklundh. The Hubba will be Freak Audio Lab’s world premiere following the release of their album Resist the Erosion four months ago.

“Moving forward we hope to commission other premieres as well,” says Abhijit, adding with acts such as Mother Jane, Indian Ocean, and Swarathma, as well as bands from Norway and Thailand, “the festival is full of sounds both familiar and new.”

“With free entry to the festival, one needn’t worry about catching acts they haven’t heard of before as there is no money to lose, just an experience to enjoy.”

Kantha Hubba will take place from January 16 to 25 at Freedom Park. Schedule of events available on blrhubba.in