heyOn the second day of the Zero Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, after two hours of intense performance, electronic band Laxmi Bomb made a crescent-shaped debut on the stage. The locally made wine was flowing like water, everyone was happy and high, and the crowd danced and cheered frenzied young men and women. As the night wore on, the music reached its climax, and the band members defied the setting temperatures and went shirtless. Several waving men in the crowd roared and took off their shirts too.
If this sounds like the prelude to a horrific event, think again. Nothing like this happened. This is Zero, arguably the safest music festival in India for women.
What followed was mesmerized by the crowd with high-octane cheer, music and the expanse of the lush Zero Valley. Many women either attended the festival for the first time, were solo travelers, or were traveling to Northeast India for the first time.
The Zero vibe was very different from the Laxmmi Bomb experience in Pune seven years ago.
“When we performed at the Enchanted Valley Festival in Aamby Valley, the experience was quite the opposite. The stage next to us was playing Fat Boy Slim and it got bad. They had to call the police because there were many instances of women being groped and harassed,” said singer Keegan Pereira.
Karuna Sharma, who had made her way from Mumbai to Ziro, wasn’t sure what to expect. A blogger by profession, she attended NH Weekender in Pune in 2019 and it wasn’t the best experience, “I was crazy about a guy next to me who looked too tall and I was worried that he would grope me “
But Zero was a different experience. She could enjoy music without constantly worrying about her safety. “Whether it’s the natural beauty or the number of local women you usually see, from those shops to others in uniform – it feels innately safe. Two days of enjoying the festivities only made me feel That instinct was well established.”
Even typically over-protective Indian parents know that the Northeast has a distinct aura.
“My parents were really okay with me visiting here. He said, ‘This is the Northeast, you will be safe.’ I must say, they were right,” said Vishakha Sinha, a solo traveler and freelance graphic artist from Bengaluru.
Sinha was not the only woman who escorted every possible means of travel—flight, train and cab ride—to the almost magical Zero Valley for the festival, to be held from September 29 to October 2 this year. A self-proclaimed ‘re-born’ female traveler from Goa and a writer from Guwahati was among the many women who were united by their love for music, nature and assurance of safety.
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for the love of music
Music festivals have become ubiquitous in India. There are more than 20 such annual celebrations, including Hornbill, Sunburn, NH7 Weekender, Enchanted Valley Carnival and Magnetic Field Festival. Most claim they prioritize women’s safety, but this isn’t always a problem at the grassroots level Not limited to India only,
It’s beyond lip service at Xero, though it’s hard to pinpoint any single reason. In the Valley, socio-cultural practices come into play along with demographics that ensure a safe space for women.
“Women are the boss in Arunachal. You see them everywhere. No doubt, it translates into a safe place at the festival as well,” says Keegan. Visitors who have made all the effort to reach this remote valley are on best behavior. This allows for an immersive experience that is at once hyperlocal and global.
Zero symbolizes the spirit of the Northeast. The stage names are based on animistic belief practiced by several tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. They are a perfect platform for local talent like songwriter-singer Abdon Mech from Nagaland and Imphal-based band Meewakching. The music group, Da Minot, from Meghalaya, performs to the lively beat of the Khasi.
“Zero is a good place for bands like us, who are based in the Northeast. It promotes indie artists, especially those who use indigenous tunes,” said members of Mizoram-based band Origami.
From local tours to activities, including lunch, the campsite owners try to make sure that people can enjoy the after-hours of the festival as well. However, since there is only one hotel in the festival site, camping proves costly.
But it still might not be everyone’s mug of Apong, the local rice beer. Visitors commit to the long journey to reach the festival and the valley. Popular routes to Ziro include an overnight train to Naharlagun and a four-hour drive to the festival site the next day.
There are no shortcuts to reach the Land of the Rising Sun.
Since the festival works on a system of cooperation, the organizers include officials from the local administration and members of the Apatani tribes.
“The festival not only highlights the cultural power of the region but also boosts the local economy. I was especially excited to see all the artists and guests returning to Ziro [after a forced two-year gap due to Covid], It has been a long wait for all of us,” says festival director Bobby Hanno.
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A mix of culture, ecology and music
Arunachal has embraced a culture of celebration with its annual Tawang and Orange festivals which also serve to promote tourism. In 2012, Hano and Menvopause guitarist Anup Kutty decided to start a music festival in Ziro with the singular goal of inviting people to experience music in the lap of nature.
“We believe in the philosophy that no matter what background we come from, music makes us one. Nature is a great plane. At the festival, we all are encouraged to respect nature and take care of each other This makes the festival one of the most unique gathering of people,” Hanno said. in an interview To Indian Express.
The government was quick to understand the potential, and threw its weight behind the festival.
“When I was looking after the tourism department of the state, I thought to myself, why don’t we show the beauty of Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the world?” Chief Minister Pema Khandu said, Interview with eastmojo, He said Zero, which promotes indigenous rock songs, was the perfect place to showcase what the state has.
Most Indian music festivals attract international artists. The bigger the festival, the bigger the artist. Sunburn is hosting names like Grammy-winning Afrojack and the wildly popular The Chainsmokers, while the VH1 can claim to have the supersonic machine gun Kelly. While Sunburn focuses on EDM, VH1 is home to a range of genres from supersonic techno to indie and pop to reggae music. Mega venues in Delhi and Mumbai attract international idols like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran.
For indie bands, despite the plethora of festivals, the space to perform continues to be limited. The Zero Festival of Music, for the most part, bucks the trend. Most of the acts are local, although there are some international artists. In the nine years since its inception, it has achieved global recognition despite its focus being on indie bands.
International actors too, are eager to tap the potential of India’s fan base. Some refuse invitations to perform.
“As soon as my booking agent told me about it, I got very excited and started counting down the days,” said Emilie Hank, a singer-songwriter from France.
His musical act Yeli Yeli saw the crowd ‘once again’ during his performance, even as the sun was starting to set. “I’m from a suburb of Paris and honestly, when I started music I never would have imagined my songs would take me so far… It still feels so unreal to me,” she said.
What stood out for first-timers and repeat fans of the festival was the eco-friendly practices adopted by the organisers. Locally, wine is served in hollow bamboo ‘mugs’ and the food is served either on banana leaves or on paper plates. Plastic water bottles are prohibited on the site.
“We ensured a garbage free festival venue. The local administration also cleared the garbage area before the start of the festival,” said Yashika Girdhar, one of the organisers.
Everyone seated themselves on a wide expanse of green, in front of either a doni or polo stage, with a mug of rice beer or millet wine. They stayed there until the last voice was sung, ignoring the chill in the air as dusk was falling.
At night under the shadow of the stars, they went back to their homes and camps. For women returning home with a group of strangers, the experience remains surreal.
On his way back home, Rohan, a member of the audience requests us to take a picture of him and his friend. “We’ve taken at least 100 selfies, but I still don’t think they can capture exactly what I’m experiencing here today,” he said. Karuna and Vishakha, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement.
(edited by Prashant)