Paddy Fields Returns with Jugalbandi

Paddy Fields is back for the third season with another cracking concept that explores the traditions of Indian music. From the women taking the centre stage in the second season, the fest has come up with a concept of Jugal bandi this year. Come and experience, Jugalbandi: The Classicism of Folk Fusion on October 6 and 7, 2018 at Nesco, Goregaon with best of the musicians performing this year. The concept of Jugalbandi will be a start to new genre of live performers in the country, especially for folk and fusion music.

Paddy Fields - Jugalbandi

The audience would be entertained by a line up that includes National award winning composer Amit Trivedi, Manganiyar classroom kids aging 8 to 12 years, Grammy nominated sitar maestro and vocalist Shujaat Khan, London based award winning Sufi vocalist Deepa Nair Rasiya, Padma Bhushan awardee and Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, playback singer and music directors Shanatanu Moitra, Rahul Sharma, Gulzar Ganie, Merlin and Viva la Goa, Malini Awasthi, Kaushiki Chakraborty and many more.

Paddy Fields is a stage where the structured meets free form, where stories are told in raga and where musical boundaries are pushed and walls broken down. An experience of a lifetime for both the audience and some of the performers as well! All packaged to ensure two evenings of sheer entertainment, with perhaps a bit of education of our great musical traditions thrown in!

Paddy Fields since 2016

In 2016, Paddy Fields attempted to bring folk music from Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan and Punjab to the Mumbai audience in the fusion idiom. Creating history as India’s first and only Folk Fusion festival singer likers Papon, Salim-Sulaiman, Nooran Sisters, Colonial Cousins, Chaar Yaar, Gangadhar and Tulika, Dhruva Vouage and Mame Khan inaugurated the Paddy fields fest with a bang.

Paddy Fields 2017 topped 2016 in terms of the wow factor as its theme was ‘Women Take Centre Stage’. Paddy Fields had an all woman line up for its second edition with Shubha Mudgal, Kalpana Patowary, Susheela Raman, Sona Mohapatra, Sunita Bhuyan, Nooran Sisters, Sonam Kalra, Tipriti Kharbangar took the fest to higher level in terms of folk and fusion musical event.

This year the organisers have left no stone unturned to take the season 3 to yet another higher levels. Paddy Fields '18 would not only see performers for the first time on such a stage, but also with a new concept of Jugalbandi.

National Award winning composer Amit Trivedi said, “I love folk music and it is present all over the world. But, I’ll be focusing on Indian folk music because I feel we have a massive variety, thanks to the diversity here. Music from every state in India is beautiful and I’ll be covering music from a lot of the states. There are some songs I’ll be presenting at this festival which I’m very excited about. So, it’s going to be a fun fusion experience.” 

Merlin and Viva la Goa who would be performing the Goan folk music said, “We are Proud to be an integral part of this unique music fest. Paddy Fields, truly a fascinating and exciting music fest brings together on one stage, an artistry that goes beyond borders. We are excited to share our musicality on this amazing and unique Paddy-Field Stage that NESCO continues to support and keep alive! Being Goa, of course, the wide influence of Portuguese Folk, Western Classical, Indian classical and Folk genres have all merged to bring forth an exciting blend of sounds.”

Paddy Fields is India’s only music festival that takes the beauty of folk music from across the country and packages and presents it to an audience weaned on Bollywood and International music. A music mélange like no other, Paddy Fields caters to people who love pop, rock, jazz, classical. You get the picture! A music lover’s delight!

Ms. Anupama Bhalla, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Nesco Ltd. said, “We are absolutely delighted to launch our third season of India’s Premiere Folk Fusion Music Festival Paddy Fields. It continues to get only bigger and better each year with 8 artists to start with in Season 1 to this year’s 19 extremely talented performers. Season 3 is all set to celebrate a fascinating and exciting concept of Jugalbandi – the classicism of folk fusion. We at Nesco are gearing up to guarantee an experience of a lifetime. So do come and join us for this 2 day experience called Paddy Fields.”

The details of the performers this year

October 6

The Manganiyar Classroom – Rajasthani folk

Rahul Sharma and Gulzar Ganie – Kashmiri Folk Jugalbandi

Shujaat Khan and Malini Awasthi – Awadhi Folk Jugalbandi

Amit Trivedi – Folk and Fusion music

Line Up - 7th October

Deepa Nair Rasiya – Sufi Folk.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Salil Bhatt and Anwar Khan – Rajasthani Folk Jugalbandi.

Shantanu Moitra, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Tibetan monk Ani Choying, classical sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee and flautist Ashwin Srinivasan – Song of the Himalayas.

Merlin D’Souza and Viva La Goa – Goan Folk.