The line-up at the 11th edition of SulaFest, the wine and music festival in Nashik, is equal parts familiar, fun, intriguing and, of course, completely unknown. While they’ve hosted some of the top international acts for the past decade, Sula Vineyards always seems to have one thing on the agenda — artists that can entertain and enchant above all else.
That explains why they’ve always had a bent towards world music and, sometimes, dub and reggae. This year, however, the two-day festival (February 3-4) includes headliners such as electro-swing forerunners Parov Stelar and beatbox collective Bauchklang, both from Austria. Founder of Parov Stelar, Marcus Füreder’s influence can be seen closer home, in Mumbai duo Madboy/Mink, a disco/funk and electro-swing act who play across the country. “Like every genre, it was something new at the time and the combination of swing music and modern beats is special for fans. Meanwhile, it became more and more in popular culture (sic) and there have been movies which boosted this genre even more,” says Fureder, who is bringing his full band down, consisting of vocals, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar/bass and drums. “Last but not least, it’s danceable, and a positive sound that spreads positive feelings,” he adds.
Where’s the party?
While Fureder hasn’t been to India yet — though he says his wife has, learning meditation and yoga, and falling in love with the cuisine — it’s all familiar ground for his fellow Austrians, Bauchklang. The energetic beatbox and vocal groove collective have been visiting the country since 2009. Recalling his experience, Philipp Sageder, one of the vocalists says, “Besides the completely mind-blowing reactions we got from the audience, the fantastic artists who joined us on stage and some great friendships we made, my personal favourite experience is the first time I took the band to eat pani puri and then to the paan-wala to eat paan — I’ll never forget their reactions.”
Pioneers of sorts in the beatboxing field, Bauchklang, in a way, taught India how to love vocal music, and they’ve been experimenting with their sound ever since. Lead vocalist, Andreas Fraenzl, mentions that the band even played shows as a soundsystem and recorded their own sample library. After a line-up change, last October the band regained full strength, to get back on stage to do what they do best — high energy beats and grooves that you simply can’t comprehend are being made without instruments. Sageder states that they’ve also incorporated the konnakol , after a few trips here.
- Play: When you are not at one of the many concerts, there's quite a lot to do at SulaFest 2018. "This includes grape stomping sessions, treasure hunts enroute to Nashik from Mumbai and Pune, wine and pasta pairing sessions, as well as lessons on freestyle football," says Kenneth Pritchard, Senior VP, International Sales and Marketing.
- Stay: If you have serious FOMO and don't want to stay too far from the action, Let’s Camp Out is setting up 350 tents at the venue this year, about 300 metres from the amphitheatre. Call 9819817099 or email abhi@letscampout.com or info@letscampout.com for reservations.
- For those who love their creature comforts, there's Taj, Ibis, Ginger and Express Inn, all located less than 30 minutes from the vineyards.
- Eat and drink: Indulge in a variety of cuisines, including Oriental, Mughlai, Indian and Italian. Popular gourmet houses such as Mainland China, Hungry Monks, Burger Barn, Makaloo, Konkani Rassa, Maroosh and Urban Spice will serve up favourites from their menu. Wine and spirit brands like Beluga, Hardys, Mud House, Kumala, Asahi, Pittu Cachacha, Bola, Highland Queen, Barking Deer (craft beer) and many more will also be on offer.
The vocalist adds that since India is one of the few international stops they make, it will be a special set at SulaFest. “It is going to feature some of our newer material and some older tracks. We have the privilege of closing the festival and hope to have a big party with all the people present.”
Loud and retro
Among the Indian must-see artists, trust New Delhi electronica veteran Gaurav Raina to be the best bet, as he undertakes a live band set under his solo alias, Grain. In the three years that he’s released and performed solo material, Raina has worked with everyone from Monica Dogra to newer artists such as Tarana Marwah aka Komorebi. One half of long-standing electronica duo, Midival Punditz, he is currently juggling both worlds. “Grain is influenced by music from the ’80s and ’90s from the West,” he says, adding at SulaFest, his set will be “really big and powerful”, featuring new material as well as songs off his début solo offering, Grey to Silver .
On February 3 and 4, Sula Vineyards. Gates open at 12.30 pm on both days, while the music will go on till 10 pm. Tickets at ₹2,600 per day and ₹4,300 for both days, on in.bookmyshow.com. Details: sulafest@sulawines.com
