Music lovers flock to three-day international festival in Guwahati

Guwahati: Music lovers in Guwahati were treated to multiple genres of music at the second Guwahati International Music Festival that was held here over the weekend. The event featured over 200 musicians from eight countries, and was organized by the state tourism department in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. Well-known international musicians such as percussionists Bickram Ghosh and Greg Ellis from the USA, Afghan Ghazal singer Haris Khan, progressive Bangladeshi rock musician Mac Haque, mandolin player Snehasish Mozumder and his band Som from New York, Sarod exponent Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, jazz musician Ralf Kamphuis (Germany), among others, performed at the festival, apart from local musicians. Tabla player Rishi Chowdhury, from the United Kingdom, said that the festival was a great opportunity for Indian musicians living abroad to re-connect with their roots. “Assam is my homeland. I was born in the U.K., but my parents are from Assam, so it is very special to be performing in Guwahati. It is so great to have these music festivals,” Chowdhury said. Featuring musicians from across genres such as classical and folk music to fusion, rock, ghazals and jazz, the event gave emerging musicians a platform to perform with renowned international names. “I think this is a very big platform, and musicians from all over India and the world, if they get the chance to come here, then they will be able to meet the wonderful listeners here. I am also very pleased. I got very good vibes from the audience. They are real music lovers,” said mandolin player Snehashish Mozumder. The event concludes today. ANI