My bags are packed and I’m ready to head to Nashik for the weekend. Wondering why? It’s an easy guess. One simply does not miss the 10the edition of SulaFest 2017, one of India’s premiere gourmet music festivals. Yes, it’s been 10 years since it all began and it seems just like yesterday.
Cecilia Oldne, Global Brand Ambassador and Vice President - Marketing, Sula, reminisces, “I remember our first edition with 4 bands and 300 people! We’ve come a long way since then with now more than 150 artists and thousands of people headed to the vineyards.” And she’s right.
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This time, the festival is bigger and better, having not only added a third day but a third stage, as well. Starting off already on Friday the 3rd of February making this year a 3-day affair, introducing the Tropical Stage with Electro-Acoustic music! SulaFest goers have got something worth looking forward to! The gourmet music festival will bridge more than 30 genres from around the globe - from World Fusion to Electro Acoustic, Techno, House, Pop, Electronica, Electro-Swing and will witness over 150 artists, ranging from UK, Italy, India, Bosnia, Israel and more across its 3 stages – The Amphitheater Stage, Atmasphere Stage and Tropical Stage. The power packed line-up includes Grammy nominated as well as world festival favourites such as Bloc Party (UK) making their India debut, all-time favorite Infected Mushroom (IS), Afro Celt Sound System (UK), Dubioza Kolektiv (BA), Hilight Tribe (FR), Indian Ocean (IN), Loco & Jam (UK), Jan Blomqvist & Band (DE), Nucleya (IN), The Raghu Dixit Project (IN), Swingrowers (IT), Dana Ruh (DE), Ska Vengers and many, many more.
But, here are the ten artists you should definitely look forward to, aside from the star performers, Infected Mushroom.
1. Bloc Party
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An English indie rock band composed of Kele Okereke on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards and sampler, Russell Lissack on lead guitar and keyboards, Justin Harris on bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones and backing vocals, and Louise Bartle on drums and percussion. With rock as its base genre, Bloc Party dabbles in electronica and house music with a definitive rock element that becomes synonymous with the band’s style.
2. Jan Blomqvist & Band
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Born in the 80s, this Berlin-based solo-artist and bandleader is the man who invented concert techno, with the dreamy vocals and simple beats. Known to play some killer club soul music as a solo, along with his band, you can expect him to belt out some great electro-pop music to get your feet tapping. His band consists of members, Christian Dammann, the drummer, Felix Lehman, the pianist and Ryan Mathiesen, the lyricist.
3. Nico Stojan
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The musician, a Berlin-native, is a self-proclaimed a global citizen and devoted eater of Ayurvedic snacks. From his initial his for Hip-Hop, Stojan discovered an untapped love for Jazz and soul music, from where he began to hone his skill of working the crowd. That’s when House music happened to Stojan. He enjoys the mix of analogue and digital which is prominent in his album ‘Twisted Manners’. He oscillates between vinyl and digital technology to bring the right frequencies to the crowd. As a musician, he’s a people pleaser and he hits just the right notes.
4. Sax Machine
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As a group, Sax Machine describe themselves as the future of “Great Black Music”, complete with hard bop, afro beat, funk and hip-hop. Composed of the brilliant saxophonist, Guillaume Sene and Pierre Dandin who happens to be the trombonist for Sergent Garcia, Malted Milk and Mix City, together the duo transform and improvise their music for a transcendental experience.
5. Swingrowers
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This band, comprising of Roberta Costa who is the programmer and DJ, Loredana Grimaudo as the singer and songwriter, Alessio Costagliola, the guitarist, Ciro Pusateri tse Saxophonist, Clarinetist, and Giulio Castronovo is the manager, redefines the electro swing genre of music. Hailing from Palermo, London, the band has already made waves with their latest album and are up and about, around the world, touring.
6. Wouter De Moor
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You won’t find Moor on every possible (after) party, nor will you see him posting one Facebook status after another, talking about “amazing vibes” or “bomb tracks”. No, we’re not saying it; he is. What we are saying is that the DJ/Producer is almost always busy with classic) drum machines, synthesizers, compressors, filters, and other sound toys; a habit he claims to have imbibed from his mentor, Steve Rachmad, Amsterdam’s number one techno pioneer. Wouter likes to blend techno with house-oriented tracks, to create music that is pure.
7. Ernesto Altes
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He is a DJ, producer, the owner of Extremly House Music and the manager for the Ibiza Sonica Tour. But, over and above all, he prefers to call himself a father to many children.
8. Peter Shcumann
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Born and raised in Gera, DJ and producer Peter Schumann is known for minimal grooving beats and a colourful variety of electro, detroit and minimal. His first release was published in 2002, together with Marcus Martinez, as Audiomat on 3d Records. Following a two-year hiatus, his next work was together with friend, Benjamin Fehr on the Frankfurt label Catenaccio.
9. Christ Burstein
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Head of Rural Records & have a tough discography incl. more than 100 tracks, remixes & studio albums (in at least 15 labels) Supported / Played or charted by Ritchie Hawtin, Danny Tenaglia, Hernan Cattaneo, Jamez Zabiela, Luciano, Loco Dice, Dubfire, Sharam, Dave Seaman, Chris Fortier, among others—these are just a few of the feathers the artist wears in his cap. He’s been playing and creating music for over a decade now and draws musical inspiration from the likes of Depeche Mode, Saint Germain, Sasha, The Doors and Laurent Garnier.
10. Bit of Both
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Ash Roy and Ashvin Mani Sharma—the duo who make up Bit Of Both are one of the frontrunners in the coountry’s indigenous dance music scene and honestly, it wouldn’t be the same without these two. If you remember the globally acclaimed Jalebee Cartel, it would be very hard forgetting these two. They’ve pursued independent journeys as DJs, producers and even writing music for films. Ash and Ashvin are credited with founding Soupherb, one of Asia’s most rapidly growing underground dance music record label.