ZIRO, Sept 20: The 13th edition of the Ziro Festival of Music will be held from September 24 to 27 in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley, bringing together more than 40 artists from India and abroad, organisers said.
The four-day festival will feature musicians from Northeast India, other parts of the country and countries including Algeria, Thailand, Palestine, Switzerland, South Africa, South Korea, Nepal, Ireland, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
The Indian lineup includes Sukhbir, Sneha Khanwalkar, Midival Punditz, Shakthisree Gopalan, Shanka Tribe and Parikrama. Northeast India will be represented by Tripura busker Sukesh Suklabadya, Manipur’s Chingleipak Collective and Yelhomie, Sikkim’s Tribal Rain, Nagaland’s Temsu Clover, Mizoram’s Mood Station, Assam’s Novo and Arunachal Pradesh’s David Angu.
Other performers include Bihari rapper Shikriwal, Kaali Duniya, Karan Kanchan and Swara Oza, along with classical musicians Sarwar Hussain and violinist Apoorv Krishna. International artists include Sri Lankan singer Yohani, Algeria’s Fati Teniri, Palestinian-French producer Isam Elias, Nepal’s Phosphenes, Thailand’s GYMV, the Philippines’ Talahib and South Korean act Moher.
For the first time, the festival will introduce ‘Cosmos’, an informal space for spontaneous jams, artist interactions and unscripted performances.
The festival will also host the final chapter of ‘Circuit Mixers’, an international exchange supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. The programme will feature electronic artists Zequenx from India, Naledi Chai from South Africa, and Lua Jungck and Owelle from Switzerland, following earlier residencies in Johannesburg and Montreux.
Irish folk band Saltaire will take part in a cultural residency involving workshops and collaborations with local musicians. The exchange is supported by Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi and marks the festival’s first partnership with Ireland.
The festival will also showcase the cultural traditions of the host Apatani community through the traditional Daminda harvest dance, a presentation by the Apatani Women’s Association Ziro (AWAZ), and workshops on traditional crafts, including paddy flute (Elu) making and pottery.
Ziro Festival of Music co-founder and director Bobby Hano said discovery and cross-cultural exchange remained central to the festival’s objective.
