KOCHI: Music buffs in the state can now sway to the beats of indie music. The first edition of the International Indie Music Festival (IIMF), organised by Kerala Arts and Crafts Village (KAVC), Kovalam, in association with the global music community Lazie Indie and Kerala Tourism will be held from November 9 to 13 in the capital city.
The first-of-its-kind event will create an annual venue for independent music artists across the state and beyond. According to the organisers, the music gala will feature artists across the globe.
“The five-day event will be a tourist attraction for the state,” says Sreeprasad, chief operating officer of KACV.
“The programme will witness the best of indie from seven countries, including India, the US, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Italy. It will have 16 music genres like reggae, rock, heavy metal, pop, hip-hop etc. The music event will be held annually from here after. This is a way to promote the talented musicians around us, as there is no specific venue or an event for independent music here like in foreign countries,” he adds.
“Also, it is a way to open the tourism elements of our state. There will be several sideline events like the John Antony guitar contest,” says Sreeprasad. Around 20 bands will be participating in the event. The stalwarts include reggae sensation Anslom from Papua New Guinea, award-winning songwriter and singer Lyia Meta from Malaysia, UK-based blues and rock guitarist Will Jones, Seattle-based rock artist Sami Chohfi’s Blue Helix, Singapore-based Vedic metal band Rudra, hip hop-jazz musician Roc Flowers from Italy and many more.
Indian bands such as Oorali, Agam, Project Malabaricus, Chaos, When Chai Met Toast, Sherise, Lazie J and Job Kurian will also entertain the crowd. As part of the guitar contest, to honour the legendary guitarist John Antony, the programme will give away a limited edition of fender starter guitar to one of the deserving winners. “The contest is being conducted online,” adds the organisers.
On the sidelines of the music festival, a music concert with popular rapper Thirumali and a music band will be held on November 3 on the Technopark campus. “The state will also witness its first Cycle DJ performance, which will be in the early morning by collaborating with various cycling clubs and associations. The cyclists will ride 3-4 kilometres at selected stretches in the capital city accompanied by DJ music to spread awareness of the music festival,” he adds.