Bangalore, February 24, 2012

Cobalt, a leading integrated marketing communications company headquartered in Bangalore, presents the first edition of the Music. Arts. Dance. (M.A.D.) Festival.

Spread over three long days of summer; the festival is an annual cultural extravaganza that will promote India’s most fascinating destinations, and showcase an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music, arts, dance and other performing arts; cutting across genres, from across and beyond the country. The festival will unfold at a different destination, every couple of years.

The festival brings world class artistes from different genres of music, arts and dance, from India & around the globe to one exotic location. Be it kathak, electronica, heavy metal, rock, jazz, blues, folk, funk, fusion, flamenco, sufi, world, one can find most of it here. The festival will also feature performances by the 6 primary tribes of the Nilgiri, some of who are over a 1000 years old. Festival goers will also get the rare opportunity to interact with the tribes and learn about them, their skills, their music, art & dance forms. The festival is to take place at the historical Fernhill Palace in Ooty from the April 5-7, 2012.

Some of the artistes/bands performing at The M.A.D Festival includes the likes of Indian Ocean, Raghu Dixit Project, Thermal and a Quarter, Soulmate, Skinny Alley, and other world class young & upcoming bands from India. The International bands playing at the festival are Franco-Morrocan singer Hindi Zarah, State Of Bengal Live from the UK who will be collaborating with Paban Das Baul, Indialucia from Poland, No Blues from Amsterdam, and other renowned live acts.

The festival has two stages it’s going to be quite mad, because fans will be running from one stage to the other, to catch the fantastic performances. Having said that, festival-goers can still catch performances on both stages, since there is a 30 minute difference between the stages. The crossover between these two stages will be the MAD Bazaar consisting of 50 stalls brimming with unique, innovative, & quirky products made by creative individuals from all over India. The idea of the bazaar is to bring creative people together, promote them and give them a platform to showcase and sell their work. Hand illustrated helmets, shoes and posters, silver and brass jewellery, innovatively designed bags made with old clothes, silk screen printed cushion covers, organic cotton dresses and a plethora of products one would not normally find in big city shops will be available at the bazaar. The market will be rustic, keeping in mind the natural environment.

The organizers have chosen Ooty as the destination, for three reasons; one being it’s a location straight out of a dream. The other reason is that it’s strategically located; its central to three states, and is only just a few hours away from Coimbatore, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Coorg, Manipal, Calicut, and Thrissur. The airports closest to Ooty are in Coimbatore; which is 3 hours by road, and in Bangalore; which is 5 hours by road. And, while temperatures will be soaring in most parts of the country, the venue; the Fernhill Palace will remain cool and pleasant, is its located 6000 feet above sea level, with an altitude of 2300 meters, and its beautiful green landscapes will keep festival goers revived and refreshed all through. Ooty makes for an ideal getaway this summer.

The festival is divided into 10 areas; “Two stages” that will see performances right through the day. A “jam zone” where folks can bring their own music instruments and jam together, meet new people and even learn from each other. A “Bar in the woods,” Two “Food courts” and a “coffee lounge” for teetotalers. They also have a “Paintball Zone” for paintball freaks, as the popularity of the game is growing rapidly. Kids will be taken care of too at a special “play area for kids” so parents can take time off, relax and enjoy the festival.

That apart, a range of workshops will be facilitated over three days, by renowned artistes & field experts, during the course of ones stay at the festival. One has to register on the festival’s website to participate in workshops of music, dance, yoga, photography, and juggling, these workshops will equip a person with the necessary knowledge and secrets to get started, and promise to open doors to an exciting new world. These workshops will range right from the beginner level up to the senior level and is for people across all age groups.

One of the many reasons that make this M.A.D Festival unique, is that it breaks away from the age old concept of headlining acts. The idea is to give folks a mad mix of great performances that they can enjoy right through the day. The security at the venue will be very tight, there are CCTV camera’s across the venue to ensure maximum security, sniffer dogs along with security personnel will ensure that the festival is a drug free, and clean affair. So folks, leave your paranoia behind, and go with music in your hearts.

source: http://www.afaqs.com / Section: other Briefs> Category: Corporate / February 24th, 2012