The third edition of Soundscapes of India (SOI), organised by The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) in association with MusiConnect India, brought more than 150 artists from over 15 Indian states together with international music industry delegates from more than 20 countries in New Delhi from August 29 to 31.
Held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, the three-day showcase combined performances with conference sessions, workshops, pitching meetings and industry networking, with a focus on creating international opportunities for Indian artists.
The conference examined music as a potential cultural export, with sessions covering international festival partnerships, cultural diplomacy, music tourism and India’s music ecosystem. Country-focused discussions looked at the UK live music industry and music export opportunities in Africa, while workshops covered export readiness, grant and residency applications, artist branding and festival programming.
One of the key industry components was the one-on-one pitching programme, which connected Indian artists with festival programmers, bookers, agents, labels, publishers and talent managers from markets including the UK, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Nepal and Africa.
SOI’s In the Spotlight sessions also featured organisations and festivals including Fuji Rock Festival, Bushfire Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, SXSW, Iceland Airwaves, The Great Escape, MAMA Festival and WOMEX.
The international participation was aimed at giving delegates a closer look at India’s independent music ecosystem. “I wanted to understand how India’s diverse music ecosystem works – and I found exactly what I was looking for at this event,” said Philip Grefer, Founder & CEO, WISE.
Stani Goma, Founder of Beats of Any Nation Downunder (BAND), Australia, said he attended to discover Indian artists and explore collaborations, adding that he would like to bring some of them to Australia and introduce their music to new audiences.
The role of government and cultural institutions in developing music-led economies also featured in the programme. Theja Meru, Chairman of TAFMA, Government of Nagaland, discussed the role of festivals in local economic development and regional identity, while Koji Sato, Director General of the Japan Foundation, spoke about international cultural exchange and cultural tourism.
Three nights of showcases
The evening programme featured artists working across classical, folk, tribal, Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, as well as pop, rock and fusion.
Performers included Abhijeet Pohankar’s Global Varkari, Meghalaya’s Da-La-Riti, Anuradha Pal, the Isheeta Chakravarty Collective, Lakkshya, Dobom Doji Collective, Dipannita Acharya, Seyie Intrepid, the Tamil Jazz Collective, Tribemama Marykali, Param, Street Stories, Desert Kats, Da Shugs, The Ravi Iyer Fusion Experience, Wahane Sisters, Varijashree Venugopal and Jatayu.
The festival also featured international artists including Egyptian-Arabic jazz artist Noha Fekri, Indonesian guzheng and pipa performer Ngartini Huang, Nepal’s Zhuma Limbu and London-based Carnatic-rock guitarist Kapil Seshasayee. Purbayan Chatterjee and his band closed the festival.
Another closing-day highlight was Journey through the Living Roots, which brought musicians from the Jenu Kuruba of Coorg, the Ho of Jharkhand’s Kolhan region, the Koch-Rajbanshi of North Bengal and the Chakhesang Naga of Nagaland to the SOI stage.
Curated by Chief Mentor and Music Producer Dr Upali Chattopadhyay, the presentation combined oral traditions, instruments and storytelling, presenting these musical practices as living traditions rather than archival forms.
SOI’s previous participants have gone on to perform at international festivals including Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia, Sziget Festival in Hungary and the Gwangju Busking World Cup in South Korea. Its third edition continues that focus on connecting Indian artists with international touring and festival circuits.
